Market activity ended with the volume of shares trading climbing 23 percent, with a 22 percent lower value on Friday than Thursday to end the week with a decline for a second day on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market as rising stocks failed to match those declining by a huge margin.
A total of 49 securities traded compared to 51 on Thursday, with nine rising, 28 declining and 12 left unchanged.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,882.09 points to 452,937.27, the Main Index fell 1,574.98 points to 412,336.62 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.18 points to close at 100.42.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 15.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 15,882,164 shares trading for $73,938,627 versus 12,931,119 units at $94,458,438 on Thursday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 41.6 percent of total volume for an exchange of 6.61 million shares, followed by Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 16.8 percent for 2.67 million units and Transjamaican Highway 10.5 percent with 1.67 million units changing hands.
Trading averages 324,126 units at $1,508,952, compared to 253,551 shares at $1,852,126 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 228,351 units at $1,395,224, compared to 184,149 units at $1,350,041 on Thursday. August closed with an average of 480,039 units at $8,561,549.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments fell $1.97 to $89, with 299,363 shares clearing the market, Berger Paints shed 93 cents to $12.71 in trading 29,889 stock units, Caribbean Cement slipped 24 cents to close at $106 with an exchange of 19,281 stocks, Eppley fell 80 cents to $40.50 with the swapping of 1,793 stock units. First Rock Capital rallied 24 cents to $12.85 in exchanging 1,854 units, GraceKennedy advanced $2 to $103 with the transfer of 39,930 shares, Guardian Holdings declined $4 to $595 with 5,982 units changing hands. Jamaica Broilers rose $1.06 to $33.10 in trading 3,785 stock units, JMMB Group shed 47 cents to close at $37.03 with 64,849 shares crossing the market. Key Insurance lost 36 cents to end at $4.03 in switching ownership of 300,731 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 49 cents to end at $8.50 in exchanging 51,567 shares, NCB Financial declined $1.30 to $128 in transferring 12,543 stocks. 138 Student Living shed 54 cents to finish at $4.55 with the swapping of 12,990 shares, PanJam Investment fell $1 to $63 in switching ownership of 4,673 stock units, Portland JSX popped 98 cents to $8 after exchanging 1,000 shares, Proven Investments dropped 54 cents to $33.06 with 49,528 stocks crossing the exchange. Pulse Investments shed 45 cents to end at $3.53 in switching ownership of 849,203 units, Radio Jamaica dipped 33 cents to $3.17 with an exchange of 680,251 units. 
Sagicor Group fell $1 to $55 with the swapping of 64,105 shares, Salada Foods lost 24 cents in closing at $7.01 after 49,882 stock units crossed the market, Seprod shed $1.50 to settle at $63.49 with 13,866 stocks changing hands, Supreme Ventures lost 28 cents to close at $17.77 in trading 23,689 shares and Wigton Windfarm lost 3 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of 50 cents, trading 6,607,371 stocks, as investors continue to desert the stock.
In the preference segment, Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share spiked $2 to $104 after exchanging 1,999 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
