Local Stock Market Review
For the week ended Friday, the majority of the Jamaica Stock Exchange indexes closed lower than the previous week with the exception of the JSE USD Equities Index which rose by 2.92%, the JSE Combined Index decreased by 0.72%, the JSE Index decreased by 0.64%, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index decreased by 0.64% and the Junior Market Index declined by 1.63 %. The biggest winner this week was iCreate Limited, rising by 29.20% to close at J$0.71. The biggest loser was Portland JSX Limited. Ltd falling by 13.89% to close at J$7.75.
|
Index |
12/06/2019 | 12/13/2019 | 12/31/2018 | Week/Week | Year-to-Date |
| JSE Main Market |
505,674.51 |
502,418.76 | 379,926.29 | -0.64% |
32.24% |
| JSE Junior Market |
3,462.91 |
3406.40 |
3,246.84 |
-1.63% |
4.91% |
| JSE Combined Market | 502,604.70 |
498,996.33 |
384,556.48 |
-0.72% |
29.76% |
| JSE USD Equities Market | 211.25 | 217.42 | 159.61 |
2.92% |
36.22% |
Local Dividend Schedule
| Security | Div/Share | Record Date | X Date | Payment |
| SALF | $0.70 | 3-Dec-19 | 2-Dec-19 | 17-Dec-19 |
| PJAM | $0.27 | 27-Nov-19 | 26-Nov-19 | 18-Dec-19 |
| SML | $0.12 | 22-Nov-19 | 21-Nov-19 | 20-Dec-19 |
| JMMBGL | $0.21 | 25-Nov-19 | 22-Nov-19 | 20-Dec-19 |
| FTNA | $0.04 | 3-Dec-19 | 2-Dec-19 | 2-Jan-20 |
| MTL | US $0.00223 | 22-Nov-19 | 21-Nov-19 | 15-Jan-20 |
| ECL | US $0.000245 | 22-Nov-19 | 21-Nov-19 | 15-Jan-20 |
| SGJ | $0.55 | 24-Dec-19 | 23-Dec-19 | 15-Jan-20 |
| JP | $0.15 | 2-Dec-19 | 19-Dec-19 | 17-Jan-20 |
| CPFV | $0.024 | 30-Dec-19 | 27-Dec-19 | 9-Jan-20 |
| KW | $0.31 | 20-Dec-19 | 19-Dec-19 | 16-Jan-20 |
| HONBUN | $0.05 | 19-Dec-19 | 18-Dec-19 | 2-Jan-20 |
FX Market
| Currency Pair | 12/06/2019 | 12/13/2019 | 12/31/2018 | Week/Week | Year-to-Date |
| JMD: USD | 134.73 | 134.81 | 127.72 | -0.06% | -5.55% |
| JMD:CAD | 102.11 | 103.03 | 91.54 | -0.91% | -12.56% |
| JMD:GBP | 175.96 | 180.00 | 159.04 | -2.30% | -13.18% |
Unit Trust Performance
| Unit Trust Fund | 12/05/2019 | 12/12/2019 | Week/Week Return |
Year-to-Date Return |
1 Year Return | Yield |
| Capital Growth | 91.43 | 91.47 | 0.04% | 36.81% | 44.2% | – |
| Money Market | 14.35 | 14.38 | 0.17% | 3.16% | 3.07% | 2.10% |
| Income Portfolio | 100.00 | 100.00 | – | – | – | 3.08% |
| FX Bond Portfolio (US$) | 1.34 | 1.34 | 0.34% | 6.65% | 6.50% | 1.95% |
| Real Estate Portfolio | 5,394.85 | 5144.57 | -4.64% | 3.20% | 5.22% | 0.07% |
| FX Growth Portfolio | 0.8695 |
0.8701 |
0.07% | 14.12% | 2.78% | – |
Stock Market Weekly Report
December 13, 2019 – Download here
International Update
International Equity Market
US News & Data:
The Federal Reserve left the target range for its federal funds rate unchanged at 1.5-1.75% on December 11th, 2019 signalling no plans to change rates in 2020. The decision came in line with market expectations. The US annual inflation rate rose to 2.1% in November 2019 from 1.8% in the previous month and above market consensus of 2.0%. The core inflation rate, which excludes volatile items such as food and energy, was unchanged at 2.3%, in line with market forecasts. US retail trade rose 0.2% from a month earlier in November 2019, easing from a revised 0.4% growth in October and missing market expectations of 0.5%. Sales of gasoline and motor vehicles slowed after a jump in the previous month and spending on clothing and restaurants also fell compared to previous months.
European News & Data:
The total UK trade deficit widened sharply to GBP$5.19 billion in October 2019, the biggest since April, from a revised GBP$1.92 billion in the previous month. Imports jumped 6.2%, while exports rose at a much softer 0.8%, still reaching an all-time high.
The ZEW Indicator of Economic Sentiment for Germany jumped 12.8 points from November 2019 to 10.7 in December 2019, the highest level since February 2018 and well above market expectations of 0.3, on hopes that German exports and private consumption will develop better than previously thought. Stronger than expected exports data, alongside relatively robust economic growth in the EU in the third quarter and a stable German labour market were enough to offset weak figures for industrial production and incoming orders for October.
Germany’s trade surplus widened to EUR$21.5 billion in October 2019 from EUR$18.7 billion in the same month of the previous year. Exports rose 1.9% over a year earlier to EUR$119.5 billion while imports declined 0.6% to EUR$98.0 billion. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the country’s trade surplus unexpectedly increased to EUR$20.6 billion in October 2019 from EUR$19.2 billion in September 2019, above market consensus of EUR$19 billion, as exports rose 1.2%, easily beating expectations of a 0.7% fall; while imports were flat compared to consensus of a 0.1% decline.
G20 News & Data:
China’s annual inflation rose to 4.5% in November 2019 from 3.8% in the previous month, above market expectations of 4.2%. It is the highest inflation rate since January 2012 as pork prices jumped 110% caused by a prolonged African swine fever epidemic. The government recently said it will use the reserves to provide sufficient pork supply to meet demand for China’s Lunar New Year holidays in January.
Japan’s quarterly economic growth was revised higher to 0.4% in the third quarter of 2019 from a preliminary estimate of 0.1% and above market expectations of 0.2%. Private consumption and capital expenditure increased faster than initially thought while net external demand contributed negatively to the expansion.
News
The JMMB Group on Thursday (December 5) announced its acquisition of 33,213,764 common shares in Sagicor Financial Company Limited, giving the entity proxy to now own and control approximately 22.5 per cent of the issued and outstanding common shares of Sagicor… read more
WiPay Jamaica, a Trinidad-based e-commerce platform launched earlier this year, announced they are in discussions to have the company listed on the Junior Stock Exchange (JSE) in year 2020…read more
Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s), the internationally recognized bond credit rating arm of Moody’s Corporation, has changed Jamaica’s outlook from positive to stable while upgrading the long-term issuer and senior unsecured ratings of the Government of Jamaica from B3 to B2…read more
Stock markets nervous as US tariff deadline nears…read more
Soap manufacturer Blue Power Group Limited, based on a ruling from the World Customs Organization, has been deemed ineligible to receive preferential treatment under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas for bath and laundry soaps produced by the company from palm oil-based soap noodles…read more
