Stocks trading started out with spirited early movements on Friday taking the market up by 2,978 points at 8 minutes into the trading session to sit just below the mid-March close, but the market slipped thereafter, with All Jamaican Composite Index hanging to 1,524.26 points to settle at 448,121.05, the JSE Main Index rose up by 1,331.40 points at 408,023.02 and the JSE Financial Index climbed 0.47 points to settle at 100.39, with the majority of price movements ending in favour of falling stocks.
Trading ended with 53 securities compared to 45 on Thursday and ended with 13 rising, 22 declining and 18 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio, based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings, averages 16.5.
Trading ended with an exchange of 82 percent more shares valued 77 percent higher than on Thursday as 16,976,414 shares for $141,423,527 compared to 9,318,055 units at $79,985,841 on Thursday. JMMB Group 7.5% preference share led trading with 40.6 percent of total volume for an exchange of 6.88 million shares followed by Wigton Windfarm with 14.8 percent for 2.5 million units, Jamaica Broilers 10.8 percent, with 1.83 million units and Transjamaican Highway with 6.1 percent for 1.04 million units changing hands.
Trading averaged 320,310 units at $2,668,368, compared to an average of 207,068 shares at $1,777,463 on Thursday. Month to date trading averages 234,200 units at $1,772, 561, in contrast to 229,207 units at $1,720,616 on Thursday. March averaged 354,304 units at $2,543,232.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement fell $1.25 in closing at $88 with 91,088 shares changing hands, Carreras gained 36 cents to end at $9.95 after clearing the market with 257,861 units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund dipped 26 cents to end at $40.74 with 1,691 stocks crossing the market. First Rock Capital advanced $1.55 to $17.45 in an exchange of 122,961 units, Jamaica Broilers declined $2.50 to $28.50 with the swapping of 1,830,085 shares, Jamaica Producers shed 45 cents to close at $28 after 8,381 stock units crossed the exchange. Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 20 cents to finish at $17.95 in trading 40,396 shares, Key Insurance closed 33 cents lower at $5.61 with 248,172 units changing hands, Kingston Properties rose $1.12 to end at $8.57 in clearing the market with 1,743 stocks. Margaritaville declined $1.10 to settle at a 52 weeks’ low of $21 in the transfer of 15,002 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities gained 40 cents to close at $7.95 in exchanging 17,902 shares. NCB Financial Group fell $1 to $139 with the swapping of 63,842 units, Palace Amusement dropped $70 to close at $880 in trading 5 shares, Pan Jam Investment shed $1 to end at $64 in switching ownership of 9,466 units. 
Proven Investments closed 23 cents lower at $37.77 in an exchange of 6,043 shares, Sagicor Group advanced $2.50 to $52.50 with 139,229 units changing hands. Salada Foods ended 41 cents higher at a 52 weeks’ high of $7.41 in an exchange of 137,535 shares, Stanley Motta shed 50 cents to close at $5.90, with 19,000 stocks crossing the exchange, Supreme Ventures closed 52 cents lower at $17.47 with a transfer of 419,230 shares, Victoria Mutual Investments fell 58 cents to finish at $6.82 in exchanging 233,240 units.
In the preference segment, Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share dropped 99 cents to close at $109.51 in switching ownership of 99 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading averaged 1,053,952 units at $3,445,628 in contrast to 384,151 at $562,530 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 329,241 units at $854,716, compared to 287,738 units at $706,338 on Thursday. March closed with an average of 252,633 units at $733,196.
Jetcon Corporation lost 5 cents at 85 cents with a transfer of 1,000 shares, Knutsford Express shed 17 cents to end at $8.60 with investors switching ownership of 42,421 stocks, Limners and Bards ended 8 cents higher at $2.80 with an exchange of 153,020 shares, Lumber Depot gained 14 cents to close at a record high of $2.94 in trading 1,161,602 shares. Main Event declined 70 cents to end at $3.50 with 30,502,293 units changing hands, Medical Disposables rose 24 cents to close at $4.43 trading 2,123 units and tTech gained 8 cents to end at $4.58 in switching ownership of 200 stocks.
Five securities changing hands, compared to six on Thursday, with prices of one stock rising, two declining and two ending unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Ackee one of the best loved food items in Jamaica had a mere 3 percent rise in 2020 over 2017 but has fallen 25 percent in 2018 versus 2017, it grew 27 percent in 2019 and 7 percent in 2020. Other Food Exports grew 33 percent between 2017 and 2020 to reach US$33 million after rising 23 percent in 2020 over 2019. Meat & Meat Preparations export segment is not large in monetary terms with just US$9.4 million in export earnings in 2020 but it grew 38 percent over the four year period, since 2017, with an 11 percent increase, 15 in 2019 and 8 percent in 2020 over 2019.
Traded ended with almost twice the number of stocks rising than declining, after 28 percent fewer shares with a 71 percent loss in value traded compared to Wednesday.
Trading averaged 207,068 units at $1,777,463, compared to an average of 249,560 shares at $5,280,650 on Wednesday. Month to date trading averages 229,207 units at $1,720,616, in contrast to 230,354 units at $1,717,673 on Wednesday. March averaged 354,304 units at $2,543,232.
Pulse Investments closed 28 cents higher at $4.36 after 395,700 stock units crossed the exchange, Salada Foods dipped 35 cents to $7 with an exchange of 359,341 units. Scotia Group fell $1 in ending at $42 in the swapping of 36,344 stocks, Supreme Ventures rose $1.04 to close at $17.99 with investors switching ownership of 62,609 shares and Victoria Mutual Investments rose 90 cents to end at $7.40 with 126,599 stock units clearing the market.
Fesco led trading with 77.5 percent of total volume after an exchange of 10.12 million shares and was followed by 
Trading averaged 384,151 units $562,530 compared to 450,273 at $951,624 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 287,738 units at $706,338, compared to 282,671 units at $713,895 on Wednesday. March averaged 252,633 units at $733,196.
Limners and Bards slipped 8 cents to $2.72 with 114,579 units traded, Lumber Depot advanced 22 cents to a record close of $2.80 with an exchange of 674,611 stocks, Mailpac Group gained by 11 cents to settle at $3.61 with 563,991 shares passing through the market. Main Event fell 50 cents to finish at $4.20 with 21,073 units changing hands, Paramount Trading fell 9 cents to $1.31 with a transfer of 23,100 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies shed 67 cents to close at $5.70 with 1,035 shares crossing the exchange.
Six securities traded, similar to Wednesday, with prices of one rising, four declining and one remaining unchanged, resulting in the JSE USD Equity Index slipping 031 points to end at 211.77.
At the close, First Rock Capital dropped 1 cent in closing at 8 US cents with an exchange of 106,971 shares, Margaritaville ended at 9 US cents in trading 4,000 stocks, Proven Investments fell 0.02 of a cent to close at 26.97 US cents in exchanging 33,753 stock units. Sterling Investments dipped 0.3 of a cent to end at 2 US cents with an exchange of 336,049 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.01 of a cent to end at 15 US cents with 7,616 stock units changing hands and Transjamaican Highway dropped 0.04 of a cent to end at 0.91 US cents trading 170,000 stock units.
Trading ended with 15 securities changing hands compared to 16 on Wednesday, with four stocks rising, two declining and nine remaining unchanged. The Composite Index slipped 0.15 points to settle at 1,329.55, the All T&T Index fell 1.10 points to 1,780.99 and The Cross-Listed Index increased 0.12 points to 118.62.
JMMB Group slipped 1 cent to $1.80 in trading 7,500 stock units. Massy Holdings had an exchange of 6,000 stocks at $65, National Flour Mills gained 3 cents in ending at $2.35, with 37,575 stocks crossing the market, Point Lisas remained at $3, with 1,248 stocks changing hands. Scotiabank declined by 15 cents to $54.50 after exchanging 6,062 stocks, Trinidad & Tobago NGL gained 10 cents in ending at $13.50 in exchanging 15,716 units, Trinidad Cement gained 10 cents in closing at $3 after trading 213,335 shares, Unilever Caribbean remained at $16.32 after exchanging 1,000 stock units and West Indian Tobacco ended at $32.98 trading 1,625 shares.
TTSE ends year to date with miniscule gain
Market activity ended on Friday, with the market indices rising after the trading of 64 percent fewer shares than on Thursday, resulting in rising stocks just edging out those declining at the close of the Trinidad and Tobago Stock Exchange, leaving the market to hold on to a modest gain of less than one percent for the first four months of the year.
Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange Head Quarters
Trading ended with 17 securities changing hands up from 15 on Thursday, with six stocks rising, five declining and six closing unchanged. The Composite Index rose 2.35 points to 1,331.90, the All T&T Index rose 0.76 points to 1,781.75 and the Cross-Listed Index increased 0.57 points to close at 119.19.
National Enterprises gained 1 cent to close at $2.81 in switching ownership of 10,000 units, National Flour Mills traded 1,500 shares at $2.35, NCB Financial Group rose 28 cents to $8.50 in exchanging 5,955 stock units. Prestige Holdings dropped 49 cents to close at $7.01 with an exchange of 2,800 units, Republic Financial Holdings rose 72 cents to $132.98 trading 8,690 shares, Scotiabank climbed 15 cents in closing at $54.65 after exchanging 2,942 units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL settled at $13.50 with an exchange of 49,947 shares, Trinidad Cement gained 40 cents in ending at $3.40 while exchanging 19,255 shares, Unilever Caribbean inched 1 cent higher to close at $16.33 while exchanging 12,000 shares and West Indian Tobacco closed at $32.98 after exchanging 20,810 stock units.
At the close, 148,870 shares traded for $3,321,551 compared to 408,693 units at $3,296,893 on Thursday.
An average of 8,757 units traded at $195,385 compared to 27,246 at $219,793 on Thursday. An average of 1,472 units traded at $184,946 for the month to date versus 11,621 units at $184,376. The average trade for March ended at 12,610 units at $342,338.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Agostini’s fell 15 cents to $24.25 in trading 375 shares, Angostura Holdings ended at $15.49 in an exchange of 2,091 stocks, Clico Investment Fund ended at $25.15 after trading 200 units, First Citizens Bank traded 4,562 stock units to close at $46.50. FirstCaribbean International Bank dipped 1 cent to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $6.50, with 1,177 shares changing hands, JMMB Group fell 1 cent to $1.79 in exchanging 6,216 shares, Massy Holdings shed $1.01 to end at $63.99 after trading 350 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.