The Main Market of the Jamaica Stocks Exchange took another big hit on Monday as heavyweight Sagicor dropped $6 and a fall of $5.51 in the average price of NCB Financial help to knock 11,744.53 points off the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index to close down 30 percent for the year to date at 391,405.57. The JSE Market Index had 10,819.03 points chopped off, to end at 356,735.58, while the JSE Financial Index fell 4.49 points to 98.12.
The market closed with 45 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 17 stocks advancing, 17 declining and 11 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 41 securities accounting for 26,276,614 units valued at $347,146,174, in contrast to 36,332,153 units valued at $175,354,038 from 42 securities on Friday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 9.9 million shares for 37.8 percent of total volume followed by Carreras with 3.5 million units for 13.2 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 2.2 million units for 8.4 percent market share. Other stocks trading more than one million units were Barita Investments with 1.4 million shares, Jamaica Producers, with 1.4 million stock units and Sagicor Group with 1.3 million units.
The Market closed with an average of 640,893 units at $8,466,980 for each security traded, in contrast to 931,594 units valued at an average of $4,496,257 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 708,783 units valued at $6,313,433 for each security changing hands compared to 713,099 units valued at 6,167,490 for each security traded. Trading in February resulted in an average of 624,731 units valued at $3,239,665 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.5, while the Main Market ended at 13.3 times 2019 earnings.
In the Main Market, Barita Investments closed 34 cents higher in exchanging 1,365,278 shares to finish at $50.99, Berger Paints gained $1 to settle at $12, with 42,872 stock units changing hands, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund dropped $10.50, after trading 582 units to end at $30.50. Grace Kennedy closed 49 cents higher in transferring 80,577 shares and closed at $56.99, Jamaica Broilers ended at $26, while adding $1 after swapping 140,257 units, Jamaica Producers lost 45 cents trading 1,421,129 stock units and closed at $15.60. JMMB Group closed $1.10 lower to $35.80, with an exchange of 189,080 shares, NCB Financial Group advanced $6 to end at $156, with 354,587 shares trading, 138 Student Living gained 36 cents to close at $4.41 with 10,856 stock units crossing the market. Proven Investments climbed $1.50 to $38.50, after exchanging 19,482 units, Sagicor Group plunged $6 swapping 1,272,340 units and closed at $43, while Sagicor Real Estate X Fund picked up 99 cents in transferring 12,281 units to end at $7.99. 
Salada Foods shed $1 to $25, with 9,100 units changing hands, Stanley Motta ended 79 cents higher with 57,275 shares changing hands and settled at $5. Sterling Investments gained 28 cents to close at $2.50 swapping 58,805 stock units. Supreme Investments ended at $15, with gains of 50 cents trading 51,500 units, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 45 cents to close at $17.55, in transferring 136,312 shares. Victoria Mutual Investments lost 31 cents with 335,283 shares crossing the exchange and closed at $6.69 and Wisynco Group lost $2.20 in closing at $12.50, after exchanging 576,137 shares.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 56,576 units for $9,802. The market shed 4.93 points to close at 199.95. First Rock lost 1 cent to close at 9 US cents, with 7,280 units changing hands, Margaritaville lost 0.1 of a cent to end at 24 US cents, trading 2,000 shares. Proven Investments shed 1 cent in transferring 20,610 units at 25 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments ended with a loss of 0.7 of a cent lower in swapping 26,686 units at 12 US cents.
Prices of securities trading are those for the day’s last transaction.
