Big drop in JSE indices

Trading on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Tuesday with JSE All Jamaican Composite Index diving 3,381.16 points to close at 424,644.22 and the JSE Index dropping 3,072.49 points to close at 386,878.89.
The newly created Financial Index closed with a decline of 0.44 points to 100.09.
At the close market activity, the main and US markets traded 34 securities, compared to 31 securities trading on Thursday as 13 advanced, 16 declined and 5 traded without changes in prices.
Main market activity ended with 15,376,856 units valued $418,574,978 compared to 4,168,850 units valued at $82,747,972, changing hands, on Monday.
JMMB Group ordinary stock led trading with just over 10.36 million shares for 67.4 percent of the day’s volume, JMMB Group 7.25% preference was next with 2,409,833 units, accounting for 15.7 percent of the total main market volume changing hands and Victoria Mutual Investments ended with 359,198 shares, for 2 percent of the day’s volume.
Market activity ended with an average 480,527 units valued at over $13,080,468, in contrast to 138,962 units valued at over $2,758,266 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 389,462 shares at $5,971,637, in contrast to 342,460 units valued at $2,302,562 on the prior trading day. Trading for February resulted in an average of 281,016 shares with a value of $11,715,160, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with the reading showing 8 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 closing with lower offers.
In main market activity, Barita Investments lost $1.01 to close at $49, trading of 220,804 shares, Berger Paints fell 40 cents and ended at $20.10, with an exchange of 31,329 stock units, Caribbean Cement closed with a drop of $5 to finish at $50, with 301,614 shares changing hands. Carreras traded 246,647 and lost 52 cents to close at $8.91, Grace Kennedy traded 3,340 stock units after rising 88 cents to close at $61.38, Jamaica Broilers finished trading 13,789 shares after gaining 45 cents to close at $34, Jamaica Producers rose 45 cents and closed trading of 22,284 shares, at $22.95. Jamaica Stock Exchange exchanged 38,711 shares after falling by $1.10 to $15.90, JMMB Group  concluded trading of 10,363,886 shares with a fall of $1.10 to close at $31.90.  Kingston Wharves jumped $1 and settled at $76, with an exchange of 549 units. Mayberry Equities  rose 47 cents in trading of 1,000 shares at $9.45,  Proven Investments  traded 9,165 shares to rise by $3 to end at $31. Sagicor Group lost 90 cents in trading 235,611 shares, to close at $39, Salada Foods gained 99 cents trading 1,400 units to close at $29.99 and Supreme Ventures  shed $1 to finish at $22 with 59,963 units changing hands.
Trading in the US dollar market resulted in 8,947 units valued at $922 changing hands. Proven Investments closed trading with 3,100 units changing hands at 21.50 US cents down less than haft a cent and Sterling Investments traded 5,847 units at 4 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index declined 0.92 points to close at 174.22.