Fortress Caribbean Property Fund Scc – Development Fund and the Fortress Caribbean Property Fund Scc – Value Fund were listed on the Trinidad Stock Exchange on Thursday but they did not trade. Elsewhere the market closed with 12 securities changing hands of which 4 advanced, 2 declined and 6 traded with prices unchanged. A total of 290,627 units, valued at $6,013,857, traded.
At the close of the market, the Composite Index rose 0.21 points to close at 1,151.34, the All T&T Index rose by 0.49 points to close at 1,966.05 and the Cross Listed Index fell 0.01 points to end at 44.13.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, First Citizens Bank trading just 300 shares, closed with a gain of 1 cent, at $35.71, Guardian Holdings ending with 160,331 shares changing hands for a value of $2,268,684 closed at $14.15. National Flour Mills with 6,360 shares trading, advanced 10 cents, to end at $1.60 and Trinidad Cement added 9,104 shares to close at $2.75 after gaining 3 cents.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are, Angostura Holdings with a volume of 18,471 shares being traded for $256,747 fell 1 cent to close at $13.90 and Grace Kennedy with 428 shares to close down a cent at $3.59.
Firm Trades| Stocks closing with prices unchanged at the end of trading are, ANSA Mcal contributing 162 shares as the price closed unchanged at $67.01, Clico Investment Fund trading 73,050 shares valued at $1,647,278 but the price remained at $22.55. Guardian Media closed with 6,743 units trading at $19.76, National Enterprises had 336 shares trading to end at $17.30, One Caribbean Media traded 1,300 shares at $22.30 and Republic Bank contributed 14,042 shares with a value of $1,614,829 at $115.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 5 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower.
2 new funds that did not trade
Junior market trading picks up
Activity on the Junior Market picked up on Thursday with a number on new highs recorded as investors increased their exposure to the segment of the market that has been late to the rally.
The market closed with 10 securities traded and ending with 2,839,792 units changing hands valued at $6,035,405. The JSE Junior Market Index rose 28.36 points to close at 785.93, with the price of 6 stocks advancing and 1 declining. At the close of the market, two stocks closed at new 52 weeks’ high and two hit 52 weeks’ high during trading but retreated. At the end of trading there were 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with the offer lower. The junior market ended with 3 securities closing with no bids to buy and 10 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Access Financial traded 2,000 units and lost $1.89 to end at all-time high of $15.09. AMG Packaging price moved up in trading to $3 with 9,000 and closed with a gain of 74 cents, the stock was halted during trading for an hour and then was reopened at minutes before the close at which time it officially traded. Caribbean Producers traded 1,089,045 units between $2.75 and $3, where it closed with a gain of 25 cents. 
Dolphin Cove gained 30 cents with 1,000 shares trading, to close at a new 52 weeks’ high, of $9.50. General Accident Insurance had 1,152,419 shares trading, at a new 52 weeks’ high of $2, the stock traded as low as $1.75 but closed 10 cents higher than Wednesday’s closing price, at $1.80, Lasco Distributors had 177,909 shares trading to close with a loss of 3 cents at $1.40, but traded between $1.37 and $1.43. Lasco Financial Services closed with a gain of 7 cents as 175,000 shares traded, to end at $1.20. Lasco Manufacturing trading of 212,000 as high as $1.30, a new 52 weeks’ high but ended with a closing price of $1.20, Medical Disposables traded only 2,000 shares at $1.70 after losing 10 cents and Paramount Trading had 19,419 units trading at $3.60.
All Jamaica Index up 2,000 points
National Commercial Bank traded at a new 52 weeks’ high in the morning 
session on Thursday with 3.025 million units trading.
The move helped the all Jamaica composite index to jump by 2,086.18 to reach 102,856.63. The junior market index is also on the move climbing 20.05 points to 777.62.
Jamaica Producers slipped 25 cents to $17.25 with 60,000 shares, Kingston Wharves fell 56 cents to $5.95, Pan Jam also fell as the price declined 43 to 57 as only 100 units traded, Mayberry Investments traded 511,000 units at 52 weeks’ high of $2.60, Sagicor Group traded 281,420 units $11. Caribbean Producers that traded at $3 now has 148,763 units on offer at $2.75. Supreme Ventures traded at a new 52 weeks’ high of $3.75.
Bulls continue roaming on JSE
Jamaica stock market trading is off with just moderate volumes being exchanged in the first 45 minutes of opening, 
but its clear so far that the bulls are not retreating any time soon.
Prices have started to move higher with Carrears gaining 50 cents to $47.50, Seprod gained 50 cents to $18.50. in the junior market with two stocks trading Caribbean Producers gained 25 cents to end at $3 with 235,282 units trading, Mayberry Investments was the broker buying all. General Accident Insurance gained 30 cents to $2 with 92,648 units.
National Commercial Bank has not traded so far but has a bid for 100,000 at $28.60, it last traded ta $28 on Wednesday and Caribbean Cement bid is now at $3.79 to buy 10,000 units versus yesterday’s close of $3.30.
The all jamica Index put on 335.70 points to reach 101,106.15, the JSE index is up 300.26 91,577.47 and the Junior Market index gained 14.12 to be at 771.69.
JSE now at 40 months’ high
Carreras closed $2 higher, at a new 52 weeks’ high of $47 on Wednesday.
Trading resulted in the prices of 15 stocks rising, 4 declining as 22 securities changed hands, ending in 2,104,274 units trading, valued at $19,545,760, in all market segments.
Main Market| The JSE Market Index gained 1,419.14 points to 91,277.21, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,586.66 points to close at 100,770.45 and the JSE Combined Index gained 1,533.53 points to close at 92,909.60. The market is at its highest since January 5, 2012 when it closed then at 101,108.42 on the all Jamaican Composite index.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 16 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with offers that were lower.
Wednesday session closed with, Caribbean Cement gained 30 cents in trading 91,665 units at $3.30, Carreras having 4,200 units changing hands to end with a gain of $2, at a new 52 weeks’ high of $47, Gleaner closed with 295,600 shares being active to end at 95 cents, up by 5 cents. Grace Kennedy put on 51 cents with 198,238 shares traded, at $63.50, Jamaica Broilers traded 14,200 units at a new 52 weeks’ high of $5.10,for a 30 cents increase, JMMB Group traded 151,000 units at $7.50, Kingston Wharves
traded 66,666 shares at $6.51,as the price fell 46 cents. Mayberry Investments traded 200,000 units at a new 52 weeks’ high of $2.55, after putting on 30 cents on the price.
National Commercial Bank had 17,584 units changing hands for 50 cents higher to end at a new 52 weeks’ high of $28.50. Sagicor Group traded 6,755 shares at a new 52 weeks’ high of $10.80, after gaining 14 cents, Scotia Group exchanged 10,923 shares for a new 52 weeks’ high of $23, with an increase of 28 cents, Supreme Ventures gained 30 cents in trading 20,000 units, at a new 52 weeks’ high of $3.50. Proven Investments traded 55,171 ordinary shares at 20 US cents, for a 2 cents increase, Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share, traded 185,000 units at $2.10 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 8.75% preference share traded 54,700 units at $3.20.
Junior market index jumps
Activity on the Junior Market closed with 5 securities trading and ending with 652,472 units changing hands valued at $1,335,856. The JSE Junior Market Index declined 21.35 points to close at 757.57, with the price of 3 stocks advancing and 4 declining.
At the close of the market, there were 6 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with the offer that was lower. The junior market ended with 4 securities closing with no bids to buy and 8 securities that had no stocks being offered for sale.
Stocks trading in the junior market are, Dolphin Cove with 68,960 shares trading, to close at $9.20 after trading at $9.50, Lasco Distributors had 60,000 shares trading at $1.43, with the stock rising 13 cents. Lasco Financial Services with 348,122 units trading, lost 1 cent to end at $1.14, Lasco Manufacturing gained 13 cents while trading 170,390 shares and closed at $1.20 and Paramount Trading ended with just 5,000 changing hands at $3.60 to record a gain of 3 cents.
J$ falls most vs Pound & Canadian
The slippage of the Jamaican dollar continued on Wednesday against all its main trading currencies as purchases of all currencies by dealers, amounted to US$39,727,764 equivalent, compared with US$42,569,572, on Tuesday and selling of the equivalent of US$38,332,411 versus sale of US$42,408,749, previously.
In US dollar trading, dealers bought US$34,618,052 compared to US$39,083,575 on Tuesday. The buying rate for the US dollar fell 1 cent to $115.02 and US$35,235,410 was sold versus US$39,865,854 on Tuesday, the selling rate rose 2 cents to end at $115.54.
The Canadian dollar buying rate rose 80 cents to $94.04 with dealers buying C$1,924,120 and selling C$1,243,546, at an average rate that increased $1.01 to $96.19. The rate for buying the British Pound climbed $1.60 to $174.61 for the purchase of £2,185,138, while £1,037,093 was sold, at an average rate that climbed $1.19 to $177.40. At the end of trading it took J$126.86 to purchase the Euro, $1.23 more than on Tuesday, according to data from Bank of Jamaica, while dealers purchased the European common currency at J$124.42 for a rise of $1.34 on Tuesday’s rate. Other currencies bought, amounted to the equivalent of US$219,391, while the equivalent of US$469,393, was sold.
Highs & Lows| The highest buying rate for the US dollar, rose 3 cents to $115.88. The lowest buying rate rose 25 cents to at $94.19. The highest selling rate remained unchanged $120.70 and the lowest selling rate dropped $16.64 to $96.16.
The highest buying rate for the Canadian dollar climbed 35 cents to $96.55. The lowest buying rate is down 87 cents to $74, the highest selling rate gained 54 cents to $98.85 and the lowest selling rate rose 20 cents to $90.50. The highest buying rate for the British Pound, rose $1.55 to $178.75, the lowest buying rate climbed 83 cents to $140.15, the highest selling rate climbed 80 cents to $181.07 with the lowest selling rate falling 35 cents to $167.50.
Republicbank falls big more coming
Republic Bank shares price declined sharply on Wednesday, continuing a negative trend since late 2014 as interest rates have moved up in Trinidad coupled flat results for the bank. The stock seems poised to fall some more as it closed with an offer at the last traded price with no bids in the market at the close.
The Trinidad Stock Exchange ended trading with 8 securities changing hands of which 4 advanced, 3 declined and 1 traded firm with a total of 38,678 units, valued at $1,222,490. At the close of the market, the Composite Index lost 1.43 points to close at 1,151.13, the All T&T Index rose fell by 2.85 points to close at 1,965.56 and the Cross Listed Index remained at 44.14.
Gains| Stocks increasing in price at the close are, First Citizens Bank trading 5,316 shares valued at $189,781, closed with a gain of 1 cent to $35.70, Guardian Holdings trading 25,000 shares valued at $353,750 to close with a gain of 10 cents at $14.15. Scotiabank had just 80 units trading, to close with a gain of 1 cent at $62.34 and Trinidad Cement added 1,000 shares for 6 cents more to close at $2.72.
Declines| The stocks declining at the end of trading are, Clico Investment Fund with 1,587 shares trading, fell 1 cent to end at $$22.55. Republic Bank contributed 4,335 shares with a value of $498,525 while dropping 72 cents, to a new 52 weeks’ low of $115 and West Indian Tobacco suffered a loss of 86 cents, to close at $125.14, while 788 shares changed hands.
Firm Trades| ANSA McAL with 572 shares trading unchanged to ended at $67.01.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had 4 stocks with the bid higher than their last selling prices and 2 stocks with offers that were lower.
Trading off to slow start
Early morning trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange has been slow so far on Wednesday. There are however they are a few bids that are higher than the last sale price which suggest that the bullish run should take place during the day again.
Big gains in Buy Rated stocks
TCL posted the highest gains of 172% of all IC Insider’s Buy Rated selections
IC Insiderreports on the listing from time to time do investors can see the movements in the individual stocks. In 2014, the Trinidad companies were out performing those in Jamaica and worse most of the junior market stocks that took a hammering, as interest rates climbed up to the first quarter of 2014. Much has changed since then and now stocks in Jamaica are beating the performance of those in Trinidad.
IC insider’s selections have been doing well for JSE main market but so well for the juniors.There have been 5 winners and 9 losers in the junior market providing an average loss of just 2 percent. The JSE main market has 12 winners, so far and 4 losers, for an average gain of 22 percent and TTSE has an average gain of 11 percent with 7 winners and 6 losers. Two previous winners were removed from the Trinidad list.
A number of the Jamaican companies are reporting strong results for the first quarter of 2015 this bodes well for stock prices, the same can’t be said for the Trinidad companies that are mostly reporting flat profits. The other critical factor is that interest rates have been rising in Trinidad which is negative for stocks and they are falling in Jamaica which has already given stocks a big shot in the arm. Currently investors are focused on the bigger main market stocks but the junior will come into their own later on.
NCB has gained 65 percent since last year’s low but should head much higher, Carib Cement with very strong first quarter result should be well up from the $3 it close at on Tuesday. Trinidad is clearly not the place for much investment, unless ones eyes are on the longer term future.
