Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with the prices of 10 securities advancing, 6 declined and 2 remained unchanged on Monday with 19 securities changing hands, the same number as on Friday.
At the close of market activities, the Junior Market Index declined by 24.55 points to close at 2,972.71, resulting from an exchange of 2,877,033 units valued at $17,351,257 compared to 1,034,761 units valued at $4,990,857 on Friday.
Trading ended with an average of 151,423 units for an average of $913,224 in contrast to 54,461 units for an average of $262,677 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 133,594 units valued at $602,040 and previously an average of 121,656 units valued $578,945. In contrast, October closed with an average of 74,690 units valued at $362,548, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial closed with a loss of $1.20 at $40, with 80,000 shares, AMG Packaging lost 1 cent to end at $3.07, with 12,500 stock units, Cargo Handlers ended trading 2 cents higher at $11.01, with 56,829 units, Caribbean Cream added 5 cents to close at $5.60, with 600 units, Caribbean Producers traded with a loss of 2 cents at $4.08, with 273,549 units, Express Catering ended 10 cents higher at $4.60, with 60,376 stock units. General Accident finished 2 cents higher at $2.72, with 13,800 shares, Honey Bun settled at $4.80, with 8,194 shares, ISP Finance ended trading with a loss of 20 cents at $16, with just 414 stock units, 
Jamaican Teas traded with a loss of 10 cents at $4, with 100,000 units. Jetcon Corporation finished trading at $4.60, with 50,877 shares changing hands, Knutsford Express closed 50 cents higher at $13.50, with 7,400 shares. Lasco Distributors settled 30 cents higher at $5.50, with 2,075,784 shares, Lasco Financial ended trading with fell 29 cents to close at $6.31, with 70,396 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing traded 16 cents higher at $4.20, with 34,728 units, Paramount Trading concluded trading with 2,857 units to gain 30 cents to end at $3.80, Stationery and Office ended trading 3 cents higher at $5.15, with 16,256 stock units and tTech finished trading 50 cents higher at $7, with 12,173 shares. In the junior market preference segment, Derrimon Trading ended with 300 units changing hands at $2.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
JSE main market closes up – Friday
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange finished on Friday with 25 securities changing hands, 13 advanced, 5 declined and 6 traded firm with 6,563,781 units valued at $52,758,651 compared to only 3,755,947 units valued at a mere $24,471,583 on Thursday.
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped by 2,423.90 points to close at 315,988.71 and the JSE Index climbed by 2,208.45 points to close at 287,901.46. The US dollar market index rose 2.47 points to 168.80 as just one stock traded in this market.
Trading ended with an average of 262,551 units for an average of $2,110,346 in contrast to 163,302 units for an average of $1,063,982 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 292,432 units valued at $3,440,509 and previously 282,348 units valued at $3,560,559. 
In contrast, October closed with average of 185,251 units valued at $16,528,582 for each security traded. IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 1 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Barita Investments gained $1, JMMB Group jumped $2.11, Scotia Group traded $1.50 higher while JMMB Group 7.5% preference share traded 40 percent of the total volume traded for the day with 2.66 million units, followed by Cable and Wireless with 841,666 units, Salada Foods 742,613 units and Mayberry Investments with 618,785 shares.
JSE stocks mostly rose – Friday
JMMB rose $2.11 on Friday
The majority of stocks trading rose on Friday with 13 gaining, 5 declining and 7 traded firm on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange as 5 stocks gaining a dollar or more and the largest decline being 60 cents.
The market 25 securities with 6,563,781 units valued at $52,758,651 and ended with the market indices rising strongly, with the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumping 2,423.90 points to close at 315,988.71 and the JSE Index climbing 2,208.45 points to 287,901.46.
In the main market activity, Barita Investments jumped $1 to close at $9, with 124,043 units trading, Berger Paints traded at $16, with 24,851 shares, Cable & Wireless ended trading 8 cents higher at $1.05, with 841,666 shares after trading at $1.10 earlier in the trading session, 
Caribbean Cement closed at $33, with 9,531 stock units, Carreras ended trading with a loss of 1 cent at $11.40, with 321,630 units. Ciboney Group traded 3 cents higher at 25 cents, with 50,000 shares, Grace Kennedy settled at $43, with 11,784 shares, Jamaica Broilers fell 19 cents to $18.80, with 16,868 stock units, Jamaica Producers finished with a loss of 5 cents at $15.50, with 24,241 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange closed 1 cent higher at $7.01, with 6,500 shares, JMMB Group climbed $2.11 to $28.61, with 70,640 shares, Kingston Wharves settled 99 cents higher at $33.99, with 1,106 units, Mayberry Investments ended trading with a loss of 60 cents at $5.20, with 618,785 shares. NCB Financial Group rose 50 cents to close at $104, with 84,758 shares, 
PanJam Investment ended trading with a gain of 40 cents at $42, with 43,044 units, Pulse Investments finished trading 4 cents higher at $1.79, with 27,000 shares, Radio Jamaica ended with a loss of 3 cents at $1.10, with 28,903 stock units. Sagicor Group traded 95,697 units and gained $1 to end at $37, Sagicor Real Estate Fund finished trading at $15, with 35,480 shares, Salada Foods Jamaica settled $1 higher at $8.50, with 742,613 shares, Scotia Group added $1.50 to end at $53.50, with 189,107 stock units. Seprod ended trading at $30, with 8,350 units, Sterling Investments closed 75 cents higher at $13, with 2,959 shares and Supreme Ventures ended at $11.80, with 524,225 shares. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group 7.5% ended $1.10, with 2,660,00 stock units, while Proven Investments traded 8,552 ordinary share in the US dollar market at 21 US cents.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
4 stocks rise on Junior Market 9 fall
Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended trading on Friday with 19 securities changing hands, resulting in an exchange of 1,034,761 units valued at $4,990,857 compared to 15,114,679 units valued at $63,009,289 on Thursday.
At the close of market activities, the prices of 4 securities advanced, 9 declined and 5 remained unchanged. The Junior Market Index declined by a mere 3.40 points to close at 2,997.26.
Trading ended with an average of 54,461 units for an average of $262,677 in contrast to 795,509 units for an average of $3,316,278 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 121,656 units valued $578,945 and previously an average of 127,044 units valued at $604,299. In contrast, October closed with an average of 74,690 units valued at $362,548, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 3 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers.
Lasco Financial climbed to a new all-time high of $6.60 in continued investors’ response to the company’s announced acquisition of the CrediScotia’s business but Lasco Distributors ended at a 52 weeks’ closing low of $5.20.
At the close of the market, Access Financial lost $1.81 in closing at $41.20, with 1,902 shares trading, Caribbean Producers traded with a loss of 40 cents at $4.10, with 3,000 units, Consolidated Bakeries closed with a loss of 14 cents at $2.06, with 5,866 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove finished trading with a loss of $2.18 to close at $18, with just 500 shares, Express Catering fell just 4 cents to $4.50, with 79,327 stock units trading, Eppley concluded market activity with a loss of $2.49 to $10.01, with 3,000 units. 
General Accident ended at $2.70, with 800 shares traded, Jamaican Teas finished trading 10 cents higher at $4.10, with 181,181 units, Jetcon Corporation closed at $4.60, with 148,607 shares, Knutsford Express finished trading $1.49 higher at $13, with 797 shares. Lasco Distributors settled with a loss of 60 cents to closed at 52 weeks’ low of $5.20, with 214,754 shares, Lasco Financial rose 30 cents to a 52 weeks’ closing high of $6.60, with 99,459 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing closed with a loss of 11 cents at $4.04, with 96,632 units, Medical Disposables closed 1 cent higher at $5.30, with 3,000 shares. Main Event concluded trading with a loss of 45 cents at $5.50, with 3,366 shares, Paramount Trading closed at $3.50, in trading 100,000 units, Stationery and Office finished at $5.12, with 89,853 stock units and tTech concluded trading at $6.50, with 1,443 shares. In the junior market preference segment, Derrimon Trading preference share ended with 1,274 units changing hands at $2.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
JSE market index tumbles on Thursday
Trading on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange was moderate on Thursday with 23 securities changing hands resulting in just 3,755,947 units valued at $24,471,583, compared to 8,130,384 units valued at $56,308,791 on Wednesday.
The market closed with gains in 8 securities while 9 declined and 6 traded firm leading to the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dropping 3,468.82 points to close at 313,564.81 and the JSE Index sinking 3,160.49 points to close at 285,693.01.
Trading ended with an average of 163,302 units for an average value of $1,063,982 in contrast to 353,495 units for an average of $2,448,208 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 285,021 units, valued at $3,369,155 and an average of 307,065 units valued at $3,786,627 previously.
In contrast, October closed with average of 185,251 units valued at $16,528,582 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with a lower offer.
Berger Paints rose $1, Caribbean Cement gained 99 cents, Mayberry Investments jumped 75 cents and Sagicor Group lost $2, the other notable trade was Ciboney, with the largest volume traded of 1.59 million shares.
Caribbean Producers in big trade
Caribbean Producers commanded 81% of the total trade on Thursday.
Caribbean Producers traded 12,260,068 units or 81 percent of the total volume passing through the Junior Market on Thursday, with the price climbing 50 cents to end at $4.50 two days after the company posting strong profit in the first quarter.
Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange concluded trading on Thursday with 19 securities changing hands, resulting in an exchange of 15,114,679 units valued at $63,009,289 compared to 2,180,177 units valued at $9,696,165 on Wednesday.
At the close of market activities, the prices of 9 securities advanced, 6 declined and 3 remained unchanged. The Junior Market Index advanced by 11.40 points to close at 3,000.66.
Lasco Financial climbed to a new all-time high of $6.30 two days after the company announced acquisition of the CrediScotia’s business but Lasco Distributors traded at an intraday 52 weeks’ low of $5 before closing higher at the end of trading.
Trading ended with an average of 795,509 units for an average of $3,316,278 in contrast to 109,009 units for an average of $484,808 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 127,044 units valued at $604,299 and previously and average of 68,783 units valued at $367,935. In contrast, October closed with an average of 74,690 units valued at $362,548, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 3 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging finished trading 4 cents higher at $3.08, with 8,480 stock units changing hands, Cargo Handlers settled at $10.99, with 1,307 stock units, Caribbean Cream ended trading with a loss of 7 cents at $5.55, with 2,400 shares, Caribbean Producers traded 50 cents higher at $4.50, with 12,260,068 units, Dolphin Cove jumped $2.63 higher to close at $20.18, with 3,650 shares, Derrimon Trading ended 50 cents higher at $6.50, with 117,188 shares. Express Catering finished 9 cents higher at $4.54, with 35,572 stock units, Jamaican Teas ended at $4, with 1,750 units,
Jetcon Corporation traded with a loss of 20 cents at $4.60, with 387,485 shares, Knutsford Express finished with a loss of 69 cents at $11.51, while trading 21,899 shares. Lasco Distributors ended trading 20 cents higher at $5.80, with 297,860 shares, Lasco Financial concluded trading 30 cents higher at an all-time high of $6.30, with 468,946 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing closed 10 cents higher at $4.15, with 101,226 units. Main Event gained 45 cents in closing at $5.95, with 71,396 shares, Paramount Trading finished at $3.50, with 1,244,375 units, Iron Rock traded with a loss of 45 cents at $2.80, with 1,355 shares, Stationery and Office ended with a loss of 3 cents at $5.12, with 73,665 stock units and tTech finished with a loss of 50 cents at $6.50, with 1,057 shares.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
3,469 points chopped off JSE index
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index sank 3,468.82 points to close at 313,564.81 on Thursday and the JSE Index dived by 3,160.49 points to close at 285,693.01 as just 3,755,947 units valued at $24,471,583 changed hands, with the prices of 8 stocks falling.
The market is in a tussle as it tries break clear of the resistance zone, resulting in the market moving up and down as investors fight to trade stocks at the best price they can. The bulls clearly have the upper hand supported by fundamentals and technical support.
In the main activity, Barita Investments finished trading at $8, with 6,852 units, Berger Paints settled $1 higher at $16, with 72,420 shares, Cable & Wireless ended trading with a loss of 8 cents at 97 cents, with 531,733 shares, Caribbean Cement ended 99 cents higher at $33, with 4,350 stock units. Carreras ended trading with a loss of 9 cents at $11.41, with 243,091 units, Ciboney Group closed 2 cents higher at 22 cents, with 1,594,730 shares traded, Grace Kennedy traded at $43, with 6,370 shares, Jamaica Broilers rose 43 cents to $18.99, with 10,730 stock units. Jamaica Producers finished trading with a loss of 40 cents at $15.55, with 12,800 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange finished at $7, with 36,100 shares, JMMB Group closed with a loss of 50 cents at $26.50, in trading 45,350 shares, Kingston Wharves ended at $33, with 5,284 units. Mayberry Investments finished 75 cents higher at $5.80, with 45,017 shares, NCB Financial Group finished trading with a loss of 50 cents at $103.50, with 66,396 shares,
1834 Investments finished with a loss of 11 cents at $1.30, with 21,848 stock units, PanJam Investment traded with a loss of 40 cents at $41.60, with 43,458 units, Pulse Investments settled with a loss of 5 cents at $1.75, while trading 41,073 shares. Radio Jamaica finished trading 3 cents higher at $1.13, with 62,694 stock units, Sagicor Group ended trading with a loss of $2 at $36, with 87,792 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund finished at $15, with 7,620 shares, Scotia Group ended at $52, with 28,752 stock units and Supreme Ventures settled 30 cents higher at $11.80, exchanging 204,713 stock units. In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group 7.5% ended with a loss of 5 cents at $1.90, with 576,774 stock units.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
T-bill rates drop again
Rates on Government of Jamaica Treasury bills fell again in November, with the latest offer resulting in the rate on the 91 days instrument falling to 4.26 percent from 4.58 percent previously and the 181 days rate slipping to 4.89 percent from 5.11 percent.
In April the 91 days rate was at 5.71 percent and fell in August to 5.49 percent before dropping sharply in September and October to reach 4.58 percent then.
In April the 182 days rate was at 6.4 percent and fell in August to 5.99 percent before dropping sharply in September and October to help push the current rate under 5 percent. As indicated in the attached chart the rates seems headed for 4 percent for the 182 days instrument and should be there by January or February if current trends continue.
Investors in equities, Money Market Instruments and real estate should pay keen attention to this critical development that will have profound implications for values in the market.
Lasco Financial lifts Junior Market
Lasco Financial
Following the news that Lasco Financial acquired CrediScotia, the stock jumped $1.10 on Wednesday to a record close, helping to push the Junior Market Index up by 40.48 points on Wednesday, bettering the 28.05 points decline on Tuesday, to close at 2,989.26 when trading ended.
At the close of market activities, 20 securities changed hands, down from 22 trading Tuesday leading to the prices of 8 rising, 5 declining and 7 remaining unchanged, in an exchange of 2,180,177 units valued at $9,696,165 compared to 1,809,393 units valued at $9,170,104 on Tuesday. While Lasco Financial closed at a record high for the day its sister Lasco Distributors closed at a 52 weeks’ low at the closed of trading.
Trading ended with an average of 109,009 units for an average of $484,808 in contrast to 82,245 units for an average of $416,823 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 68,783 units valued at $367,935 and previously 64,720 units, valued at $356,129 previously.
In contrast, October closed with a slightly higher average of 74,690 units valued at $362,548, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 3 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging traded 4 cents higher at $3.04, with 30,700 stock units, Cargo Handlers ended at $10.99, with 4,643 stock units, Caribbean Producers ended 15 cents higher at $4, with 244,630 units, Consolidated Bakeries ended with a loss of 16 cents at $2.20, with 12,847 stock units, Dolphin Cove settled at $17.55, with 2,500 shares, Derrimon Trading traded with a loss of $1 in closing at $6, with 3,394 shares. Express Catering settled with a loss of 10 cents at $4.45, with 13,900 stock units, General Accident closed at $2.70, with 4,000 shares, Honey Bun ended trading at $4.80, with 3,862 shares, 
Jamaican Teas finished trading at $4, with 71,805 units. Jetcon Corporation ended trading 30 cents higher at $4.80, with 100,710 shares, Knutsford Express ended at $12.20, with 2,810 shares, KLE Group finished trading 1 cent higher at $2.51, with 502,226 units, Caribbean Cream ended at $5.62, with 13,930 shares. Lasco Distributors traded 60 cents higher at $5.60, with 362,543 shares, Lasco Financial traded $1.10 higher at $6, with 589,625 stock units, after investors attempted to trade it at $6.50 which was outside the range it could trade at for the day. Medical Disposables concluded trading 9 cents higher at $5.29, with 24,000 shares, Main Event lost 30 cents to close at $5.50, with 6,891 shares, Paramount Trading ended with a loss of 49 cents at $3.50, trading 106,600 units and Stationery and Office settled 15 cents higher at $5.15, with 78,561 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
Main market index dives
The main market with fell sharply as 8,130,384 units valued at $56,308,791 traded on Wednesday. 23 securities changed hands, 8 advanced, 10 declined and 3 traded firm leading to the All Jamaican Composite Index diving 2,309.99 points to 317,033.63 and the JSE Index dropping 2,104.66 points to 288,853.50.
In the main market activity, Barita Investments ended trading with a loss of 30 cents at $8, with 549,876 units changing hands, Berger Paints closed with a loss of $1.25 at $15, with just 4,757 shares, Cable & Wireless concluded trading with a loss of 3 cents at $1.05, with 1,676,000 units, Caribbean Cement finished trading with a loss of 99 cents at $32.01, with 1,900 stock units, Carreras traded 50 cents higher at $11.50, with 124,283 shares. 
Ciboney Group ended 1 cent higher at 20 cents, with 451,323 units, Grace Kennedy settled $1.50 higher at $43, with 54,448 shares trading, Jamaica Broilers ended trading 6 cents higher at $18.56, with 4,258 stock units, Jamaica Producers rose 85 cents to $15.95, with 128,472 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended 20 cents higher at $7, with 152,521 shares, JMMB Group concluded trading with a loss of $2 to $27, with 333,294 stock units, Mayberry Investments finished trading with a loss of 45 cents at $5.05, with 2,020 shares, NCB Financial Group ended at $104, with 197,658 shares. PanJam Investment traded with a loss of $1 at $42, while trading 88,396 units, Pulse Investments settled at $1.80, with 55,231 shares,
Radio Jamaica traded with a loss of 3 cents at $1.10, with 554,984 stock units, Sagicor Group ended $3.40 higher at $38, with 2,300 units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell 45 cents to end at $15, with 16,082 shares, Scotia Group ended trading $1 higher at $52, with 62,403 stock units, Seprod finished trading at $30, with 2,504 units and Supreme Ventures concluded trading with a loss of 30 cents at $11.50, with 127,554 shares.
In the main market preference segment, JMMB Group concluded trading at $1.10 with 3,540,000 stock units and Proven 8.25% share traed 120 units at $5.20. In the US equity market, Productivity Business Solutions traded 3,921 shares at 57 US cents after falling 0.51 cents and Proven Investments fell 2 cents in trading 398 ordinary shares at 21 US cents. JMMB Group 6% US dollar preference share traded at $1.121 US cents with 11,000 stock units.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.