Montreal: Cinar, Coscient, Nelvana, Paragon, Atlantis and Imax are the top gainers among entertainment pubcos in 1996, with the biggest nominal gain again going to Cinar, up $16.50 on the tse over the 52-week period.

Imax and Cinram stock also showed big gains, while Coscient and Atlantis stock movement pointed to a turnaround. Alliance Communications and Nelvana recorded the best profit per share returns for production/distribution companies.

Bearish and active at year’s end, Alliance a stock hit a high of $17 on the tse in calendar 1996. The low was $10.50 with the closing at $11.95 for a net loss of $2.30. Profit per share stood at $0.81 while Alliance’s relative strength index (against the TSE 300 Composite Index) is 73.

Atlantis Communications, which increased its stake in Life Network to 100% from 80% at the end of the year, closed ’96 at $7, an increase of $1.50 over the 52-week period. The high was $8.63 with $4.80 as the low. Loss per share was $0.31.

Cinar Films a stock hit a high of $39 on the tse this year, closing at $37 for a net gain this year of $16.50. Profit per share stood at $0.65. The company also had the highest profit/earnings ratio at close to 60 times.

Cineplex Odeon stock remained active with 15.8 million shares traded in ’96. The labor-plagued, Toronto-based theatrical exhibition company closed at $1.95 off its yearly high of $3.35.

Cinram showed some muscle in late ’96 as its stock edged out the TSE 300, closing at a near high $37.50 for a $12.38 increase. Profit per share stands at $1.18.

Giant screen producer/exhibitor Imax closed the year on the tse on a weak bullish trend at $43, a 52-week gain of $13.25.

Malofilm Communications a stock closed at $7.60, its high in ’96. Malofilm was another entertainment stock which outperformed the TSE Composite Index, with profits per share at $0.39.

Nelvana Limited closed ’96 at $22.75 for a 52-week increase of $3.75. The high in ’96 was $29 and the low was $17.50. Profit per share stands at $0.96.

Paragon Entertainment closed the year in a bullish mode with an industry high 124 index against the TSE 300. Paragon closed at $2.20, up $0.90 over the 52 weeks of trading. The company recorded profits of $0.13 a share.

On the mse, Coscient Group a stock closed ’96 by raising just under $17 million with a new share offering closing at $4.80, up from an annual low of $2. The 52-week gain is $2.30 with profits per share standing at $0.20.

Other entertainment production and related stocks on the mse include film and mow producer International Keystone and digital post-producer Rainmaker, both of Vancouver. Keystone closed at $0.20, off $0.50 over the 52 weeks, and reported a $0.21 per share profit. Rainmaker closed at $3.75, off $0.90 for the year and recorded a $0.22 a share profit.

Toronto-based Devine Entertainment closed on the Alberta Stock Exchange at $2, up $0.50 over 52 weeks.

On the nasdaq u.s. exchange, recently listed Alliance Entertainment stock closed at $9, down $2.50. Cinar stock closed at $26, up almost $11, while Montreal-based Discreet Logic closed to hints of a potential turnaround at $7. The stock lost more than $18 in ’96. More than 80 million Discreet shares were traded this year.

In communications and media stock, the year’s top performer was broadcaster CanWest Global Communications. Its stock regenerated a 74% return in 1996.