Bulls sniffing out stocks on JSE Main Market

The bulls are returning to trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, helping to drive the market sharply higher at the close on Tuesday, recovering all of Monday’s loss, with the All Jamaican Composite Index increasing 4,271.57 points to end the day at 375,594.58, the JSE Main Index surging 5,531.32 points to finish at 337,438.62 and ending with a gain of 3.6 percent year to date and 8.7 percent from the 2023 low in November. The JSE Financial Index gained 0.75 points to close at 72.25.
Trading ended with a solid 78 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded and a 146 percent jump in value compared with Monday, following trading in 60 securities similar to Monday, and ending with with rising and declining price splitting 50 stocks equally, at 25 each with 10 ending unchanged.
The market closed with 44,551,752 shares trading for $385,321,406 from 24,989,216 units at $156,897,201 on Monday.
Trading averaged 742,529 shares at $6,422,023 compared to 416,487 units at $2,614,953 on Monday and month to date, an average of 334,055 units at $1,815,141, in comparison to 297,960 units at $1,408,053 on the previous day and January with an average of 265,804 units at $2,438,118.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 21.31 million shares for 47.8 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 9.22 million units for 20.7 percent of the day’s trade, GraceKennedy ended with 2.78 million units for 6.2 percent market share, Sagicor Select Financial Fund chipped in with 2.55 million units for 5.7 percent of trading, Wisynco Group closed with 2.41 million units for 5.4 percent market share and JMMB Group 7.35% – 2028 with 1.09 million units for 2.5 percent of total volume.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.8. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with financial year, ending around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and eight with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Barita Investments rallied $1.09 to end at $70.99 as investors exchanged 10,678 stock units, Berger Paints rose 82 cents to $6.62, with 3,851 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement advanced 30 cents in closing at $59.50, with 39,502 stocks crossing the exchange. Guardian Holdings popped $9 to end at $369 in switching ownership of 6 units, Jamaica Producers shed $1.02 and ended at $22.08 with investors trading 14,648 stocks, Jamaica Stock Exchange climbed $1 to $10 in an exchange of 1,825 units. Kingston Wharves increased $2.53 in closing at $32.70 after an exchange of 13,062 shares, Massy Holdings jumped $6.85 to $96.86 in trading 387 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities sank 85 cents to $9.25, with 1,001,000 shares crossing the market. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy fell $1 to close at $90 with investors dealing in 180 stock units, NCB Financial skidded 50 cents to $69 after trading 21,081 units, Pan Jamaica lost $3.40 in closing at $48 with an exchange of 6,395 stocks. Scotia Group rose $1.40 to a 52 weeks’ closing high of $47.40 after 55,757 shares passed through the market, Seprod declined $1.21 to end at $82.50 while exchanging 3,561 stocks, Stanley Motta rallied 99 cents and ended at $6.99 with investors swapping 130 units. Supreme Ventures dropped 47 cents to $25.99 after a transfer of 45,032 stock units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance increased $1.55 to close at $11.40, with 2,500 shares crossing the market and Wisynco Group dipped 45 cents to end at $21 with investors transferring 2,405,113 stock units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share fell $1.83 in closing at $5.64 after an exchange of 11,594 stocks, JMMB Group 7% preference share dropped 40 cents and ended at $2.28 with a transfer of 17 units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share shed $10.65 to $91.01 after exchanging 240 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.