The junior market shot through the 2,900 points level with strong gains 67.79 points in trading on Friday, to end at a new closing high of 2,959.31, after 24 securities traded, with the prices of 19 rising and only 2 declining.
The market closed with 1,530,168 units, valued at $11,104,756 passing through the market, compared to 1,812,887 units, valued at $10,370,371, on Thursday. At the close, only 2 stocks had bids higher than their last sale prices and 1 with a lower offer, than the last sale.
An average of 63,757 units with an average value of $462,698 traded, compared to 78,821 units with an average value of $450,886 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 92,477 units and $532,178 compared to 106,837 units and $566,918 to the previous day. The average volume and value for January, ended at 165,547 units and $884,749.
At the close of trading, Access Financial Services surged $2.50 to a 52 weeks’ high of $30 in trading traded 6,400 units, AMG Packaging climbed $2 to close with 5,282 units changing hands at $24, 
Blue Power jumped $3 to close with 1,200 shares changing hands at a 52 weeks’ high of $50, CAC 2000 traded 16,000 units at $6.10. Cargo Handlers traded 31,840 units to close at $22, Caribbean Cream exchanged 63,000 shares and gained 55 cents, to close at $7.80, Caribbean Producers rose 5 cents in trading 7,197 units at $4.50. Consolidated Bakeries shed 20 cents in trading 30,000 shares to close at 52 weeks’ high of $3.60. C2W Music rose 5 cents and ended at 45 cents with 25,000 shares changing hands, Derrimon Trading ended at a 52 weeks’ high of $7 with 40,400 shares changing hands, after rising by 55 cents, Dolphin Cove ended with a gain of 24 cents at $14.74 with 3,890 shares changing hands. General Accident gained 10 cents and closed trading with 71,641 shares at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.50. Honey Bun shed 24 cents and closed with 56,056 shares changing hands at $7.25, Jamaican Teas traded 37,450 shares to close at $8.60 after rising by 10 cents, Jetcon Corporation closed trading with 475,275 shares, to end with a gain of 8 cents at $10.50. Key Insurance traded 10,000 units to close at $3.50, after rising by 15 cents, KLE Group gained 5 cents and ended with 6,305 units changing hands at a 52 weeks’ high of $3, Lasco Distributors ended trading with 86,100 units changing hands and gained 10 cents to close at $7.30. 
Lasco Financial gained 11 cents with 287,245 shares changing hands to end at $3.86, Lasco Manufacturing with 44,900 units changing hands, closed with a rise of 8 cents at $5.20, Medical Disposables added 10 cents and closed at $6.10 with 66,063 shares changing hands. Paramount Trading closed at $3.05 after slipping 5 cents, with 136,500 shares changing hands, tTech closed trading with 7,599 units changing hands to end at $6.90 after rising 5 cents, Derrimon preference share, traded 49,750 units and fell 7 cents to end at $2.05 and Eppley 10% preference share, traded 14,815 units to close at $6.85 after rising 10 cents.
Moderate gains for TTSE stocks – Friday
Trading levels trended up on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Friday relative to Thursday’s activity. The market traded 12 securities compared to 9 on Thursday resulting in 3 stocks advancing, 4 declining and 5 unchanged. Two stocks ended at 52 weeks’ highs.
A total of 522,359 shares valued at $3,824,294 were exchanged compared to Thursday’s trades of 350,452 shares valued at $3,125,102.
The Composite Index advanced 1.46 points to 1,229.58, the All T & T Index gained 1.03 points to 1,823.62 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.26 points to 85.13.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 7 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
Gains| First Citizens closed at $32.50, adding 1 cent with 75 units changing hands, National Commercial Bank closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.60, gaining 1 cent with an exchange of 2,500 shares and Sagicor Financial advanced 11 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $9.11 with trades of 90,633 units valued at $824,779.
Losses| Grace Kennedy lost 1 cent to close at $2.67 with 24,000 shares being exchanged, 
Scotia Investments was down 2 cents to $2.21 with 61,521 units traded, Scotiabank closed at $58.74, a loss of 1 cent with 10,000 units changing hands, valued at $587,400 and Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended trading at $22, losing 51 cents with trades of 12,541 units.
Firm Trades| Clico Investment closed at $22.52, trading 44,422 shares valued at $1,000,033, JMMB Group traded 88,940 units at $1.20, Massy Holdings exchanged 667 shares and closed at $51.10, Trinidad Cement was unchanged at $4.15 after trading 187,000 shares valued at $776,457 and West Indian Tobacco held firm at $127 with 60 units changing hands.
Juniors jump to a record 2,938 points
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange in the morning session on Friday saw the junior market surpassing the 2,900 points level to trade at 2,938.01 points as trading in the overall market widened to 39 with as a number of stocks hit 52 weeks’ highs.
Noted trades include, Grace Kennedy with 110,077 units at $40, JMMB Group with 21,555 shares trading up to $17.50, Margaritaville Turks hit 33 US cents and 52,250 units changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate X Fund with 250,000 units at $10.50, Scotia Group with 304,114 shares up to a new high of $46, 
but the stock is offered at $42 and in the junior market, Blue Power Group with 1,200 shares at a new high of $50, Derrimon Trading with 40,400 trading at a new high of $7, with no stock on offer and Lasco Financial Services trading 287,245 shares at $3.86.
All major markets indices hit new records during the morning session but with moderate trading taking place. The all Jamaica Composite Index fell 802.01 points to 239,237.45, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index lost 717.14 points to 218,295.34, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index declined 188.64 points to 232,624.89 and the junior market index jumped 46.34 points to 2,937.86.
Securities changing hands, amount to 44 at 10:45 am compared to 37 trading on Thursday. A total of 27 securities advanced and 6 declined, resulting in a volume of 1,902,696 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $36,902,558, versus 2,909,426 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $46,637,055, the average trade for the early session amounted to 43,243 units, compared to 78,633 shares previously.
Activity falls for Trinidad stocks
Market activity on the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange on Thursday resulted in 9 securities changing hands compared to 13 on Wednesday leading to 5 stocks advancing, 2 declining and 2 unchanged.
A total of 350,452 shares valued at $3,125,102 were exchanged compared to Wednesday’s trades of 810,839 shares valued at $3,882,754.
The Composite Index gained 1.83 points to 1,228.12, the All T&T Index advanced 2.31 points to 1,822.59 and the Cross Listed Index added 0.18 points to 84.87.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 7 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
Gains| Clico Investment added 2 cents to close at $22.52 with 6,045 units traded, National Enterprises closed at $10.87, up 2 cents with 500 shares changing hands, Sagicor Financial advanced 25 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $9, having exchanged 42,500 shares valued at $382,500, 
Scotiabank gained 5 cents after trading 10,000 units valued at $587,448 to close at $58.75 and Trinidad & Tobago NGL climbed 40 cents to $22.51 with trades of 12,540 units.
Losses| First Citizens closed at $32.49, down 1 cent with 511 units being exchanged and JMMB Group lost 1 cent to close at $1.20 with 161,846 units changing hands.
Firm Trades| Guardian Holdings closed at $14 with 106,510 shares traded, valued at $1,491,141 and Trinidad Cement was unchanged at $4.15 after trading 10,000 shares.
Big gains for Jamaican stocks on Thursday
Scotia Investments climbed $3.50 on Thursday.
At the close 12 securities ended at new 52 weeks’ closing highs and 2 trading at an intraday high.
All major market indices jumped sharply, with the all All Jamaica Composite Index surging 4,106.35 points to close at 240,039.46, the JSE Market Index climbed sharply by 3,671.80 points to finish at 219,012.48 and the JSE combined index jumped 3,678.17 points, to close at 232,813.53. The movement of the main market, for the year to date, resulted to gains of 14.2 percent, for the all Jamaica Composite Index.
At the close, 10,945,066 units valued at $124,588,506 changed hands, compared to 10,945,066 units valued at $162,330,186 changing hands on Wednesday. Of the stocks traded, the junior market accounted for 1,812,887 units, valued at $10,370,371.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 324,708 shares compared to an average of 279,763 units on Wednesday. For the month to date, an average of 302,236 shares traded January ended with an average of 592,602 units.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and junior markets, the
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 16 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.In market activity, Barita Investments advanced 20 cents closing at $6.70 with an exchange of 38,000 units, Berger Paints gained 15 cents and closed at $11.20 after trading 105,286 shares, Cable and Wireless traded 293,400 units at $1.15, Caribbean Cement closed at $33.50 with gains of 48 cents and an exchange of 20,878 shares. Carreras climbed $4.25 to close at $66.75 with 21,827 units changing hands, 1834 Investments lost 5 cents to close at $1.40 after trading 31,400 shares and Grace Kennedy had 58,434 units trading at $39.99, for a loss of 1 cent. Jamaica Broilers gained 19 cents to close at $15.49 with 27,420 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers traded 2,082,451 shares, rising $2 to end at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $17, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $5.60 trading 4,459,763 shares, JMMB Group gained 11 cents to close at $17 with 294,827 units traded. Kingston Properties exchanged 19,600 shares at $9.50 for a gain of $1, Kingston Wharves ended at $32.99 and trades of 21,578 units, Margaritaville Turks traded 10,000 units, gaining 2 cents to close at 29 US cents, Mayberry Investments gained 45 cents, closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $5.95 with 9,310 shares changing hands. National Commercial Bank dropped $3.97 to close at $61.02, after swapping 507,192 shares,
138 Student Living closed trading with an exchange of 15,000 units at $4.50, Pan Jamaican lost $1.45 and closed at $29.05 with 33,000 shares traded, Pulse Investments gained 32 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.32 in trading 12,850 units. Radio Jamaica lost 10 cents to close at $1.20 with 242,445 shares traded, Sagicor Group advanced $2.90 to a 52 weeks’ high of $33 with 33,429 shares changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 28 cents in closing at $10.50 while trading 41,740 units. Scotia Group ended trading with gains of $2.39, to close at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $41, with trades of 16,967 shares, Scotia Investments climbed $3.50 after trading 47,325 units and closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $35.50, Supreme Ventures gained 20 cents with 75,000 shares traded, to close at $5.50. Proven Investments traded 160,000 ordinary shares, adding 2 cents to close at a 52 weeks high of 26.01 US cents and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share traded 88,000 units at $1.10.
6 new highs for junior stocks
Blue Power jumped $6.07 to a 52 weeks’ high of $46.47
The market closed after 23 securities traded, 2 more than on Wednesday, with the prices of 12 rising, 10 declining, ending with 1,812,887 units, valued at $10,370,371 passing through the market, compared to 2,831,925 units, valued at $14,341,956, on Wednesday. At the close, 9 stocks had bids higher than their last sale prices and 1 with a lower offer than the last sale.
An average of 78,821 units with an average value of $450,886 traded, compared to 134,854 units with an average value of $682,950 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 106,837 units and $566,918. The average volume and value for January, ended at 165,547 units and $884,749.
At the close of trading, Blue Power jumped $6.07 to close with 9,500 units changing hands at a 52 weeks’ high of $46.47, CAC 2000 traded 1,000 units at $6.10, Cargo Handlers traded 9,884 units and gained $1.50 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $22, Caribbean Cream exchanged 150,000 shares and fell 2 cents, to close at $7.25. Caribbean Flavours lost 1 cent in putting through 15,948 units to end at $9.49. Caribbean Producers rose 20 cents in trading 22,245 units at $4.45. Consolidated Bakeries shed 20 cents in trading 247,225 shares to close at $3.30, after trading at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $3.70, C2W Music rose 5 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ high of 40 cents with 30,696 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove ended with a gain of 10 cents at $14.50 with 400 shares changing hands. General Accident gained 35 cents and closed trading with 24,375 shares at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.40. Honey Bun climbed 49 cents and closed with 26,400 shares changing hands at $7.49, Jamaican Teas traded 17,440 shares to close at $8.50 after declining by 65 cents, Jetcon Corporation closed trading with 58,879 shares, to end with a gain of 62 cents at $10.42. Key Insurance traded 151,628 units to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.50, after rising by 15 cents, KLE Group gained 15 cents and ended with 3,000 units changing hands at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.95, 
Lasco Distributors ended trading with 2,720 units changing hands and lost 10 cents to close at $7.20. Lasco Financial had 18,071 shares changing hands and shed 25 cents to end at $3.75, Lasco Manufacturing with 49,999 units changing hands, closed with a loss of 8 cents at $5.12, Medical Disposables shed 10 cents and closed at $6 with 33,545 shares changing hands. Paramount Trading closed at $3.10 after rising 10 cents, with 22,382 shares changing hands, tTech closed trading with 27,800 units changing hands to end at $6.85 after easing 5 cents, Derrimon preference share, traded 49,750 units and fell 7 cents to end at $2.05 and Eppley 9.5% preference share, traded 840,000 units to close at $6.04 after rising 1 cent.
Jamaican stocks in record climb
A fall of $4.98 in the price of National Commercial Bank (NCB) to $61.01 was not enough to do much damage to the main market indices in the morning session on Thursday, as a number of other stocks hit 52 weeks’ highs in trading.
Stocks trading at new highs include Jamaica Producers at $16.50, Mayberry Investments at $5.97, Scotia Group at $41, PanJam Investment at $34 and Sagicor Group at $33 and in the junior market Blue Power Group at $41, Consolidated Bakeries at $3.60 and in the US market Margaritaville Turks hit 29 US cents and Proven Investments at 25 US cents.
All major markets indices hit new records during the morning session but with moderate trading taking place. The all Jamaica Composite Index raced 3,590.01 points to 239,523.12 the Jamaica Stock Exchange Market Index surged 3,210.11 points to 218,550.79, the Jamaica Stock Exchange combined index jumped 3,189.0 points to 232,324.56 and the junior market index jumped 20.67 points to 2,885.60.
Securities changing hands, amount to 37 at 10:45 am compared to 39 trading on Wednesday at 10:15am. A total of 21 securities advanced and 6 declined, resulting in a volume of 2,909,426 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $46,637,055, versus 873,317 shares changing hands, carrying a value of $11,028,042,, the average trade for the early session amounted to 78,633 units, compared to 22,393 shares previously.
GOJ revenues beating estimates
Revenues for Government of Jamaica continue to outpace forecast, with the latest figures showing a 5.2 percent amounting to $17.4 billion increase over budget to December last year.
Revenues ended at $352 billion inclusive of capital inflows of $14.6 billion, compared with forecast of $334 billion. The main contributors company profit taxes and PAYE $2.4 billion each, and tax on interest, amounting to $2.8 billion. Special consumption taxes accounted for an increase of $2.3 billion, Education tax added $822 million, Stamp duties $1.3 billion and Custom Duties $1 billion. Travel and special consumption taxes and GCT on imports, cut $3.5 billion from forecast.
Capital spending is still running $5.4 billion below the target of $35 billion while other expenditure is under-spent by $3.7 billion, with wages down $5.2 billion and interest cost $3.9 billion, while other operating cost is up $4.3 billion over forecast.
The fiscal out turn, is a cut in the fiscal deficit by $26.6 billion, down to $23.7 billion.
NCB & Scotia push Jamaican stocks hard
NCB jumped to a record high of $65 during trading on Wednesday.
Overall market activity, ended with 22 stocks rising and 14 falling, including 12 stocks rising and 2 falling, in the junior market. At the close 4 securities ended at new 52 weeks’ closing highs and 6 trading at an intraday high while one traded, at an intraday 52 weeks’ low.
All major market indices jumped sharply, with the all All Jamaica Composite Index surging 3,907.49 points to close at 235,933.11, the JSE Market Index climbed sharply by 3,493.98 points to finish at 215,340.68 and the JSE combined index jumped 3,495.03 points, to close at 229,135.36. The movement of the main market, for the year to date, resulted to gains of 12.3 percent, for the all Jamaica Composite Index.
At the close, 10,945,066 units valued at $162,330,186 changed hands, compared to 15,833,084 units valued at $518,190,757 changing hands on Tuesday. Of the stocks traded, the junior market accounted for 2,831,925 units valued at $14,341,956.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 279,763 shares compared to an average of 384,180 units on Tuesday. January ended with an average of 592,602 units.IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 17 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
In market activity, Barita Investments gained 50 cents to close at $6.50 with 47,891 units changing hands, Berger Paints declined 45 cents and closing at $11.05 after trading 26,638 shares, Cable and Wireless lost 4 cents trading 513,643 units at $1.15, Caribbean Cement closed at $33.02 with an exchange of 26,700 shares. Carreras closed lower at $62.50, losing $4.25 with 569,635 units changing hands, the stock traded at a 52 weeks’ low of $60, earlier in the day, 1834 Investments lost 5 cents to close at $1.45 after trading 26,648 shares, Grace Kennedy had 18,034 units trading at $40, for a loss of 50 cents. Jamaica Broilers lost 10 cents to close at $15.30 with 78,129 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers traded 51,690 shares, rising $1.50 to end at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $15, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $5.60 trading 573,360 shares, JMMB Group closed at $16.89, with a loss of 1 cent as 129,066 units traded. Kingston Wharves lost $1, ending at $32.99 and trades of 2,112 units, Margaritaville traded 52,619 shares at 27 US cents, Mayberry Investments gained 35 cents to close at $5.50 with 508,060 shares exchanged, after trading at an intraday high of $5.75, National Commercial Bank rose to a 52 weeks’ closing high of $64.99, after gaining $3.49 and swapping 76,727 shares.
Pan Jamaican lost 50 cents and closed at $30.50 with 20,195 units exchanged, Portland JSX traded 7,500 units with gains of 10 cents to close at $9.10, Pulse Investments gained 5 cents to close at $6 in trading 15,750 units, Radio Jamaica closed at $1.30 with 84,170 shares traded. Sagicor Group closed with 55,950 shares changing hands with a loss of 40 cents at $30.10 after it traded earlier at an intraday high of $31, Sagicor Real Estate fund gained 22 cents, closing at $10.22 and trading 14,328 units, Scotia Group ended trading at $38.61, gaining 61 cents with 771,110 shares changing hands. Scotia traded at an intraday high of $40. Scotia Investments also traded at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $34.94 but closed trading with 980,950 units while losing $1.02, to close at $32, Sterling Investments closed at $15.60 with trades of 70,850 units, Supreme Ventures gained 20 cents after trading 1,790,979 shares to close at $5.30, Proven Investments traded 500,825 ordinary shares, adding 1 cent to close at a 52 weeks; high of 24 US cents and JMMB Group 7.5% preference share traded 1,090,382 units at $1.10.
Big Citizens Bank fall hits TTSE index
First Citizens dropped $1.50 in trading on TTSE on Wednesday.
Market activity resulted in 13 securities changing hands in contrast to 18 on Tuesday as 4 stocks advanced, 4 declined and 5 remained unchanged. A total of 810,839 shares valued at $3,882,754 were exchanged compared to Tuesday’s trades of 483,249 shares valued at $2,376,016.
The Composite Index declined 3.18 points to 1,226.29 points, the All T & T Index fell 7.41 points to 1,820.28 points and the Cross Listed Index inched 0.15 points higher to 84.69.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer ended with 7 stocks with bids higher than last selling prices and 6 with lower offers.
Gains| Guardian Holdings advanced 25 cents to $14 trading 32,652 shares valued at $450,215, National Commercial Bank added 4 cents, closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.59 with 65,932 shares changing hands,
Sagicor Financial climbed 24 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $8.75, having exchanged 13,500 shares and Trinidad & Tobago NGL closed at $21.11 gaining 9 cents and 2,961 units changing owners.Losses| Clico Investment lost 1 cent to close at $22.50 with an exchange of 68,150 shares valued at $1,533,377, JMMB Group slid 4 cents to $1.21 with trades of 524,328 valued at $636,873 and National Flour Mills closed at $2.67, down 3 cents with 150 shares switching owners.
Firm Trades| Angostura Holdings closed at $14.75 with 450 shares traded, Massy Holdings was unchanged at $51.10 with transactions of 8,959 shares valued at $457,728, Scotia Investments closed at $2.23 with an exchange of 77,000 units, Trinidad Cement held firm at $4.15 after trading 11,300 shares and West Indian Tobacco closed at $127 with a mere 7 units changing ownership.
