Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market suffered the first decline in since the April 2 with the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index tumbling 7,508.92 points to 435,396.84, the JSE Market Index diving 6,816.76 points to 396,872.92 and the JSE Financial Index losing just 0.98 points to close at 108.36.
The market closed with 50 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of nine stocks advancing, 28 declining and 13 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 44 securities accounting for 53,531,710 units valued at $153,340,745, in contrast to 21,215,763 units valued at $102,509,485 from 46 securities on Tuesday.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 40 million shares for 75 percent of total volume followed Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 4 million units for 7.4 percent of the day’s trade, and Wigton Windfarm with 3.8 million units for just over 7 percent of market share. QWI Investments, the only other stock trading more than one million units, ended the day with 1.06 million stock units.
The Market closed with an average of 1,216,630 units valued at an average of $3,485,017 for each security traded, in contrast to 461,212 units valued at an average of $2,228,467 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 779,477 units valued at $3,967,296 for each security changing hands, compared to 728,184 units valued at $4,031,021 for each security traded. 
Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.4, while the Main Market ended at 14.7 times 2020/21 earnings.
In Main Market trading, Barita Investments closed at $56.51, with a loss of 99 cents in transferring 26,609 units, First Rock Capital shed 44 cents to end at $10.56, in swapping 20,922 units, Jamaica Producers gained 34 cents trading 31,233 units to finish at $20.49. Jamaica Stock Exchange closed $1.14 lower at $23.60, with 106,460 shares changing hands, JMMB Group ended at $36.01, with gains of $2.99 in exchanging 138,488 shares, Kingston Wharves lost 42 cents and closed at $43.58, after trading 32,042 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities finished at $8.40, with a loss of 59 cents in swapping 72,635 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy closed $1 lower to $183, in an exchange of 300 units. 
NCB Financial Group declined by $2 to $156 transferring 98,627 shares, PanJam Investment picked up 83 cents to close at $76.83, after trading 24,331 units, Proven Investments climbed $2.95 to $37 after exchanging 940 units. Sagicor Group dropped $2.98 to end at $50.52, after trading 179,780 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 41 cents to close at $7.99, with 41,292 units changing hands. Salada Foods closed at $33.45, after climbing $5.05 in swapping a mere 120 units. Scotia Group shed 45 cents to finish at $47.50 in transferring 17,694 units, Seprod lost $3 to end at $44, with an exchange of 33,846 units, Stanley Motta lost 65 cents to close at $5, in swapping 36,575 stock units. Supreme Ventures dropped $1.99 to $17, after trading 131,365 shares, Victoria Mutual Investments ended at $7.80, with a loss of $1.20 in transferring 518,294 shares and Wisynco Group fell by $2.49 to $17, with 667,525 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market ended with 648,937 shares trading valued at US$25,614, in contrast to 285,192 units for US$123,486 on Tuesday, as one stock rose, one declined, leaving four unchanged. The PE ratio of the market closed with an average of 13.7 times 2020 earnings.
The T&T Composite Index rose 3.27 points to 1,260.45. The All T&T Index dropped 10.43 points to end at 1,681.73 while the Cross Listed Index gained 2.34 points at 113.50.
Firm Trades│ Ansa Merchant Bank closed at $36.30, with an exchange of 30 units, Calypso Macro Index Fund traded 370 units at $15.88, First Citizens transferred 806 stock units at $38.15, JMMB Group closed with a transfer 500 units at $2. Massy Holdings remained at $50, in an exchange of 1,733 stock units, National Flour closed at $1.20, with 10,700 shares crossing the market. Point Lisas swapped 130 units at $3.45, Republic Financial Holdings traded unchanged at $135, with 100 units changing hands and Unilever Caribbean traded 9,032 shares at $18.02.
At the close of the market, Access Financial fell 55 cents in trading 15,911 units at $28, with increased interest in the stock in the low to mid-$20 range. AMG Packaging ended with a loss of 3 cents at $1.85 with an exchange of 29,423 shares, Cargo Handlers finished $1 higher at $7 with 2,915 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Assurance gained 16 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.41 with 93,035 units traded. Caribbean Cream advanced 51 cents to $3.35 in the swapping of a mere 59 shares, Caribbean Producers added 90 cents in exchanging 367,829 units to settle at $3.90. Derrimon Trading finished 6 cents higher at $1.67 with 6,528 stock units trading, Elite Diagnostic slipped 3 cents in swapping 15,185 units at $4.72, Express Catering finished with a loss of 48 cents at $4.02 with 23,037 shares changing hands. Fontana traded 653,532 shares after rising 17 cents to end at $6.20, Fosrich closed trading of 25,065 units and dipped 2 cents to finish at $3.47, General Accident gained 2 cents to settle at $5.22, trading 153,000 stock units. GWest Corporation declined 1 cent in trading of 2,500 units at 90 cents, Honey Bun jumped 62 cents to $7.25 with 34,078 shares traded, iCreate closed 4 cents higher at 62 cents after swapping 39,253 shares. Indies Pharma lost 5 cents with 32,113 shares changing hands to settle at $2.55, Jamaican Teas climbed 40 cents to end at $4.40 with the swapping of 725,857 shares, Jetcon Corporation exchanged 2,582 shares to close at $1 after slipping 9 cents.
Knutsford Express fell 25 cents to $8.05 with 4,832 shares crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors concluded trading of 84,402 units and lost 15 cents to finish at $2.90, Lasco Manufacturing slipped to $4.02 after exchanging 101,875 shares and dropping 26 cents. Limners and Bards traded 206,694 units after rising 10 cents to close at $2.10, Lumber Depot slipped 1 cent to $1.19 with 478,200 units changing hands, MailPac fell 4 cents to $1.74 with 363,353 units traded. Main Event gained 19 cents to settle at $5 with an exchange of 4,489 shares, Medical Disposables lost 60 cents to close at $6.90 with 16,297 shares changing hands, Paramount Trading added 1 cent and swapped 10,580 units to end at $2.25. SSL Venture closed at $1.01 after rising 3 cents after trading 204 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies picked up 5 cents to settle $7.05 with 6,401 stock units crossing the exchange.
The Market closed with an average of 461,212 units valued at $2,228,467 for each security traded, in contrast to 909,064 units valued at an average of $10,809,850 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 728,184 units valued at $4,031,021 for each security changing hands, compared to 765,512 units valued at $4,319,932 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Jamaica Stock Exchange ended $2.39 higher at $24.74, after swapping 16,514 units, JMMB Group closed at $39, with gains of $1 exchanging 73,496 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy soared $44 to $184, with 375 stock units crossing the exchange, 138 Student Living added 30 cents to reach $7, in transferring 52,564 units, Proven Investments fell $3.95 to $34.05, in swapping 185,350 shares. Sagicor Group closed $2.50 higher to $53.50, in an exchange of 60,754 units, Scotia Group gained 35 cents to finish at $47.95 after trading 20,574 stock units, Seprod declined by $2 to $47, with 101,771 shares changing hands. Supreme Ventures rose $1.99 to $18.99, in transferring 65,409 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 40 cents trading 153,409 shares and closed at $17.60 and Wisynco Group added 49 cents to end at $19.49, with 336,917 shares crossing the exchange.
The market closed with three stocks rising, the price of one declining and three stocks closing unchanged. The market ended with 285,192 units valued at US$123,486 changing hands, in contrast to 147,823 units for US$12,944 on Thursday from just three stocks. At the close, the market index gained 0.62 points to end at 202.99 and the PE ratio ended at an average of 13.6 times 2020 earnings.
Within half an hour of trading, the Junior Market Index crossed over the 2,700 points mark to 2,706.06 and is up 63.25 points from Thursday close and is ahead of the March 5 ending of 2,656.41 points but lower than the close on March 4 of 2,758.76, but is some distance from the February close of 2,911.92.
The Market closed with an average of 909,064 units valued at $10,809,850 for each security traded, in contrast to 543,596 units valued at $2,706,411 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 765,512 units valued at $4,319,932 for each security changing hands, compared to 745,075 units valued at $3,238,279 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Portland JSX exchanged 16,000 units and rose 80 cents to end at $8.10. Proven Investments shed 50 cents to finish at $38, in swapping 3,000 shares, Sagicor Group picked up 50 cents to reach $51, with an exchange of 5,271,009 stock units, Salada Foods dropped $4.30 to close at $28.40 trading 121,898 shares. Seprod added $1 and closed at $49, after transferring 26,237 units, Supreme Ventures exchanged 201,920 shares after rising 99 cents to close at $17, Sygnus Credit Investments traded 147,833 shares and gained 50 cents to end at $18. Victoria Mutual Investments ended at $9, with gains of $1 after trading 858,125 shares and Wisynco Group closed $1.50 higher at $19, in exchanging 2,848,031 shares.
In contrast, March closed with an average of 226,230 units, valued at $542,563 for each security traded.
iCreate closed trading of 8,975 units and gained 2 cents to end at 58 cents, Indies Pharma lost 28 cents in trading 39,989 stock units to settle at $2.60, Iron Rock Insurance exchanged 55,000 shares and added 1 cent to end at $3. Jetcon Corporation dipped 7 cents in trading 3,031 units at $1.09, Knutsford Express lost 70 cents in trading 1,002 shares to close at $8.30. Lasco Manufacturing climbed 5 cents and exchanged 208,750 shares at $4.28, Limners and Bards fell 11 cents to $2 with 81,159 units crossing the market, MailPac closed trading of 5,207,096 units and gained 3 cents to end at $1.78 and Main Event closed with a loss of 19 cents at $4.81 with 51,109 shares crossing the exchange.
Market activity resulted in three securities changing hands and ended with no stock gaining while one stock declined and two stocks trading with the price unchanged. The volume of shares traded was 147,823 units with a value of US$12,944, in contrast to 291,094 units for US$266,784 on Wednesday.
