The MasterMac Group of Companies, one of Jamaica’s leading wholesale and retail distributors, has officially opened its newest outlet, the MasterMac Food Store, on Constant Spring Road in St Andrew. The new branch represents a major milestone in the company’s continued growth and modernization of its operations across the island. Key Details The launch ceremony, held on Thursday, October 16, brought together the company’s management, staff, suppliers, customers, and members of the media to celebrate the opening of the new facility. This latest addition comes 36 years after the company opened its first location in downtown Kingston in 1988. Since then, MasterMac has expanded to 15 locations across Jamaica, including five wholesale distribution centers and five supermarkets. The new Constant Spring Road location includes both the MasterMac Food Store and the MasterMac Supercentre, marking the completion of a four-year project that combined design, construction, and strategic planning...

Foreign exchange inflows into Jamaica’s market have slowed with the close of the summer season, according to NCB Capital Markets’ latest weekly market guide. The firm anticipates a continued tapering of inflows in the short term, as local businesses increase demand for Jamaican dollars to prepare for the upcoming Christmas retail period. Key Details NCB Capital Markets reports that the Jamaican dollar depreciated by 0.17% against the U.S. dollar week-over-week. The selling rate for the “greenback” moved from J$161.34 to J$161.62. This movement reflects ongoing shifts in market dynamics following reduced tourism-related FX inflows typical after summer. Liquidity in the Jamaican money market increased notably during the same period. Data show that aggregate current balances held by Deposit-Taking Institutions (DTIs) reached J$73.53 billion as of October 10, 2025 — a 12% rise compared to the previous week. Demand for short-term money market instruments remains robust. The Bank of Jama...

  JMMB Group has reaffirmed its commitment to lowering the cost of doing business through sustained operational efficiency initiatives. The Group’s leadership, led by Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Patrick Ellis, outlined steps being taken to align expenses with revenue growth while maintaining scalability and profitability across its regional operations. Key Details During the company’s Annual General Meeting on October 10, 2025 , CFO Patrick Ellis announced that JMMB Group is working to improve its operational efficiency ratio, with a long-term target of 65–70 percent . “Our expense side, operational efficiency, and that is, as we said, part of our strategic objective… we try to ensure that our revenue grows faster than our expenses,” Ellis told shareholders. “Our operating efficiency ratio is not where we want it to be long-term. We want it to be in the 70s to 65 per cent.” He noted that although staff costs fell by two percent , other key expense areas such as insurance, d...

  JMMB Group Limited has announced a net profit of J$3.74 billion and J$25.2 billion in net operating revenue for the 2024/25 financial year, marking a 6 per cent year-over-year growth despite persistent global economic headwinds and high-interest rate pressures. At its 12th annual general meeting (AGM) , JMMB reaffirmed its commitment to delivering sustainable shareholder value through what it calls a “Smart Growth Strategy.” The approach focuses on capital-efficient expansion, diversified income streams , and prudent risk management across its regional markets. Earnings per share (EPS) stood at J$1.80 , with the Group forecasting a minimum 20 per cent annual increase in dividends over the next three years. JMMB also disclosed that it paid J$488.9 million in dividends for the 2024/25 year and proposed J$587 million for 2025/26. Additionally, the repurchase of 1.33 million shares under its share buy-back programme demonstrates continued confidence in its long-term growth...

The Jamaican stock market continued its bearish trajectory last week, with overall trading volume and value recording significant declines. Data show that investor sentiment remains cautious as major indices trended downward across the board, except for the cross-listed segment, which posted its fourth consecutive week of gains. Key Details According to data from the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE), market activity slowed markedly, with a total of 63.62 million units traded, valued at approximately J$468.43 million . This represents declines of 71.1% in volume and 80.1% in value compared to the previous week. Despite reduced overall activity, the distribution of trades was broader, as the top three volume leaders accounted for 39.5% of market volume—down from 49.8% the week before. This indicates a wider spread of participation across listed companies. The top volume performers were: TransJamaican Highway Limited (TJH): 15.04 million units, or 23.2% of total volume. Wigton...