7000 points JSE Main Market drop

The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market dived sharply on Wednesday with the All  Jamaica Composite Index tumbling 7,018.30 points to close at 545,531.01 and the JSE Market Index declining 6,328.36 points to 496,866.39.
The market closed with 42 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with the prices of 19 advancing, 12 declining and 11 trading firm as the JSE Financial Index lost 2.97 points to 133.17. The PE ratio of the market ended at 20.1, while the Main Market ended at 19.3 times 2019 earnings.
The value stocks trading tripled Tuesday’s level, but the volume was lower, as the market ended with 39 securities changing hands in the Main Market, accounting for 30,283,990 units, valued at $380,332,800, in contrast to 35,465,290 units valued at $125,645,204 from 41 securities on Tuesday.
Wigton Windfarm dominated trading with 9.2 million shares for 30 percent of total volume, followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 7.75 million units for 26 percent of the day’s trade and QWI Investments with 2.4 million shares for 8 percent of the market’s volume. Other stocks trading more than one million units were Caribbean Cement with 1 million units, Jamaica Broilers with 1.1 million shares, Jamaica Producers Group with 1.5 million shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange with 1.2 million, Sagicor Group with 1.14 million and Sagicor Select Manufacturing and Distribution Fund with 1.7 million units.
The Market closed with an average of 776,513 units at $9,752,123 for each security traded, in contrast to 865,007 units at an average of $2,778,194 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 564,747 units valued at $2,959,713 for each security changing hands, compared to 551,005 units valued at $2,487,513 for each security traded. Trading in December resulted in an average of 595,143 units valued at $9,344,514 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four closing with lower offers.
In the prime market, Barita Investments gained $1 to settle at $72 in trading 158,050 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund rose to $39 after gaining 97 cents and exchanging 1,000 stock units, Grace Kennedy climbed $2.51 to end at $75.01, with 28,379 shares changing hands. Jamaica Broilers drifted $2 to $35, in swapping 1,115,542 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost $1.33 and ended at $31.55, in transferring 1,203,500 stock units, JMMB Group closed 80 cents lower to $47.50 after exchanging 35,156 shares. NCB Financial gained 50 cents to settle at $190, after swapping 142,993 units, PanJam Investment closed at $100.50, after losing 50 cents trading 14,560 shares, Portland JSX added 99 cents to close at $8.99, with 1,000 units changing hands. Proven Investments climbed $5.45 to end at $54.95, in trading 8,166 shares, Pulse Investments gained 44 cents to end at $6.94, in exchanging 43,234 shares, Radio Jamaica closed 36 cents higher to $1.77 after transferring 33,244 shares. Sagicor Group lost 90 cents to end at $70, with an exchange of 1,137,836 shares, Scotia Group dropped $3.50 to close at $54 trading 24,100 shares, Seprod closed $2 higher at $49 exchanging 284,322 units. Stanley Motta closed at $5.80, after gaining 30 cents in swapping 400 units, Supreme Ventures climbed $2.95 and settled at $23.97, after transferring 96,284 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments closed $1.30 higher to $26.90, with 29,288 shares changing hands. Victoria Mutual Investments added $1 to end at a record high of $12.50, in swapping 519,848 shares and in the preference segment, Eppley 8.25% lost 50 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of 5.50 after trading 16,000 stock units.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 8,264 units valued at over US$2,546. The market index lost 0.11 points to close at 241.54. JMMB Group 6% preference share exchanged 461 units at US$1.05, Proven Investments gained 1 US cent to close at 34 US cents trading 5,987 units and Sterling Investments closed at 3 US cents, with 1,816 units changing hands.