51% of JSE main market stocks fall

The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market closed higher on Tuesday, with advancing outpaced by declining stocks two to one.
The market ended, with 35 securities trading in the main and US dollar markets, leading to 8 advancing, 18 declining and 9 unchanged, compared to 37 securities trading on Friday.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 944.53 points to close at 568,736.30, the JSE Index gained 594.41 points to 517,224.50 and the JSE Financial Index rose 1.06 points to end at 141.59.
Market activity lead to 25,607,960 units valued at $336,490,907 changing hands, in contrast to 25,996,401 units valued $339,872,230 crossing the main market on Monday.
Supreme Ventures led trading with 10 million shares for 39 percent of total volume, followed Wigton Windfarm with 7 million units accounting for 27 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Fund with 6.7 million shares for 26 percent of the main market’s volume as the price closed at an all-time low of $1.17.
Trading closed with an average of 800,249 units valued at an average of $10,515,341 for each security traded. In contrast to 764,600 units for an average of $9,996,242 on Monday, for each security traded on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 696,737 shares valued at $7,854,199 for every security traded, compared to 683,161 shares valued at $7,446,752 for each security traded. The market closed out August with an average of 1,743,431 units valued at $9,907,963 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 12 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 8 with lower offers.
In main market activity, Berger Paints lost $1.60 to settle at $19 with 8,200 shares crossing the exchange, Caribbean Cement dived $4.99 to settle at $80.01 with 23,040 shares changing hands, Grace Kennedy lost 40 cents to end at $68 with 15,689 shares changing hands. Jamaica Broilers climbed $1 to settle at $34 with 38,062 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers lost $1.49 to settle at $23.51 trading 17,342 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange declined 50 cents to settle at $25 with 105,815 shares changing hands. JMMB Group lost 25 cents to settle at $48 with an exchange of 53,449 shares, Kingston Properties lost 35 cents to end at $5.62, in trading 10,200 stock units, Kingston Wharves traded 3,368 shares but dropped 99 cents in closing at $63.01. Mayberry Jamaican Equities dropped $1.10 to end at $12, trading 17,374 shares, NCB Financial climbed $2 to end at $214, trading 58,922 shares, Sagicor Group exchanged 26,619 stock units after gaining 85 cents to end at $72.85. Scotia Group traded 6,652 shares but fell $1 to $56.50, Seprod declined by $3.99 to settle at $51.01 with 44,831 shares changing hands, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 34 cents in trading 190,609 shares at $21.60 and Wisynco traded 161,584 shares and gained $1 to close at $24.50.
Trading in the US securities market resulted in 235,741 units valued at US$36,978 changing hands with JMMB Group 6% preference share with 1,550 units and lost 2 cents to close at US$1.02, Proven Investments rose by 1 cent in closing at 26 US cents in exchanging 4,258 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments trading 229,933 shares at 15 US cents after adding one cent. The JSE USD Equities Index rose 1.48 points to end at 194.36.