The Jamaica Stock Exchange recorded gains in the leading market indices on Monday but just barely dented the massive 55,391 points loss since the beginning of March. At the close the JSE, All Jamaican Composite Index, advancing 4,841.49 points to close at 479,172.89, the JSE Market Index climbed 4,382.37 points to 436,435.40, while the JSE Financial Index gained 2.13 points to 120.25.
The market closed with 47 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with the prices of 13 stocks advancing, 27 declining and seven securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 43 securities accounting for 28,292,088 units valued at $246,450,479 in contrast to 28,587,236 units valued at $124,299,870 from 41 securities on Friday.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund led trading with 9.6 million shares for 34 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 9.5 million units for 33.7 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 2.7 million units for 9.5 percent market share.
The Market closed with an average of 657,956 units valued at an average of $5,731,406 for each security traded, in contrast to 697,250 units valued at an average of $3,031,705 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 722,611 units valued at $5,069,124 for each security changing hands compared to 734,052 units valued at $4,928,837 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 seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 16.7, while the Main Market ended at 15.9 times the 2019 earnings.
In the Main Market, Barita Investments closed $2.01 lower to $61.50, in exchanging 27,091 shares, Berger Paints gained $1 to finish at $12 after trading 18,252 units, First Rock added 84 cents to end at $11.59, with 12,613 shares changing hands. Grace Kennedy tumbled $5.86 to $60, after transferring 161,855 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange slid to $23.99, with a loss of $2.51 swapping 33,983 shares, JMMB Group shed 60 cents to end at $38.40, after exchanging 130,451 shares. Kingston Properties lost 50 cents trading 1,000 units and closed at $5.50, Kingston Wharves gained $3 to end at $46, in transferring 9,865 units, NCB Financial dived $10 to $170, after swapping 353,119 shares, 138 Student Living ended 45 cents lower to close at $6.30, with 5,328 units changing hands. PanJam Investment ended the day at $89, with a loss of $5 trading 38,140 shares, Portland JSX shed $1.45 transferring 5,100 units to finish at $7.50, Pulse Investments gained $1 to close at $10, with 123,025 shares changing hands, Sagicor Group lost 60 cents to end at $60, in swapping 40,421 stock units. 
Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed 93 cents lower at $8.80, with an exchange of 9,592,783 shares, Salada Foods settled at $29, with gains of 50 cents trading 1,857 units, Scotia Group climbed $2 to $52, in transferring 523,149 shares. Seprod gained $1 exchanging 63,730 shares to end at $43, Supreme Ventures rose $1.30 and closed at $21, after trading 40,678 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments closed at $20.95, with gains of $2.80 swapping 72,927 units. Victoria Mutual Investments ended 80 cents lower to settle at $6, with 987,897 shares changing hands and Wisynco Group dropped $1.10 to $17 in transferring 493,670 stock units.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 152,698 units valued at over US$36,268. The market slid 1.37 points to close at 210.42. First Rock exchanged 736 units at 8 US cents, JMMB Group 5.75% preference share closed at US$2.15, after trading 3,025 units, Proven Investments lost 2 cents to end at 26 US cents, in transferring 50,481 stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 2.5 cents with 98,456 shares changing hands and closed at 15 US cents.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
The fall in the market took the 2019 losses to 28.4 percent and the fall from the peak to whopping 35 percent.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Knutsford Express closed with a loss of $1.10 at $9 swapping of 7,100 shares. Lasco Financial shed 64 cents in exchanging 190,506 units at a 52 weeks’ low of $2.46, Lasco Manufacturing closed 15 cents higher at $3.15, with 191,907 stock units trading after falling to an intraday low of $2.50. Limners and Bards fell 4 cents in transferring 123,710 units at $2.40, Lumber Depot ended market activity exchanging 775,632 shares to close at $1.25, after falling 12 cents, MailPac lost 20 cents in trading of 10,135,145 units at $1.50. Main Event fell 89 cents to end at $5.10, after trading 29,501 shares, Medical Disposables closed trading of 5,240 units and gained 7 cents to end at $6.30. Paramount Trading fell 24 cents in an exchange of 100,000 units at $1.70, SSL Venture closed with a loss of 10 cents at $1.02, after swapping 106,000 shares and tTech fell 70 cents to $4, after transferring 7,357 stock units.
Losers| Calypso Macro Index Fundshed 12 cents to end at $15.88 in transferring 200 units, Clico Investment lost 1 cent trading 407,500 units and closed at $28.60, Grace Kennedy shed 10 cents in trading 44,200 units to end at $3.75. JMMB Group lost 8 cents to end at $2.40, with 1,500 stock units crossing the market, National Enterprises declined by 14 cents to end $5.51 trading 200 units, One Caribbean Media fell 25 cents in exchanging 30,100 stock units to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $7.50. Prestige Holdings slipped 22 cents to $9.03, with 100 units changing hands and Trinidad & Tobago NGL transferred 2,498 shares and fell $1 to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $19.
The Market closed with an average of 697,250 units at $3,031,705 for each security traded, in contrast to 1,393,670 units valued at an average of $6,983,180 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 734,052 units valued at $4,928,837 for each security changing hands compared to 924,613 units valued at $5,408,975 for each security traded. Trading in February resulted in an average of 624,731 units valued at $3,239,665 for each security.
Sagicor Group lost 50 cents, ending the day at $60.60, with 188,479 stock units traded, Salada Foods closed with a loss of 50 cents at $28.50 in swapping 535 units. Scotia Group ended at $50, after losing 50 cents in transferring 112,800 stock units, after it traded down to an intraday 52 weeks’ low of $40. Seprod declined by $3 exchanging 69,800 shares to close at $42, Supreme Ventures lost 30 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $19.70, with an exchange of 211,976 units, Sygnus Credit Investments lost $2.35 to close at $18.15 while transferring 455,294 shares. Victoria Mutual Investments shed 70 cents to end at $6.80, in trading 382,192 stock units and Wisynco Group closed $1.90 lower to $18.10 in exchanging 439,672 shares.
The Market Index dropped 121.90 points to close at 2,534.51, taking the market value back to December 2016 levels.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging lost 10 cents in trading of 27,840 units at $1.80, Blue Power fell 30 cents in exchanging 6,660 units at $3.70, Cargo Handlers lost 6 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $7 with 12,455 stock units trading. Caribbean Cream ended trading with 3,200 shares, after rising 2 cents to end at $3.09, Caribbean Flavours closed $4.33 lower to 52 weeks’ low of $10.16 in transferring 2,240 units, Consolidated Bakeries shed 19 cents with 14,314 shares changing hands to close at $1.60. Derrimon Trading ended 15 cents lower with 53,245 units crossing the exchange at $1.80, Dolphin Cove ended with a loss of $1 to close at $10 with 100 stock units changing hands, Elite Diagnostic fell 31 cents in exchanging 276,396 units at $3.70. Express Catering lost 64 cents transferring 23,842 units at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.75, Fontana slipped 80 cents in trading of 216,761 units at $5, Fosrich climbed 3 cents and exchanged 8,915 shares at $3.33. General Accident closed trading of 5,209 units and gained 74 cents to end at $5.99, GWest Corporation ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1 with 139,789 stock units changing hands, Honey Bun ended market activity exchanging 16,355 shares to close at $6.30 after falling 15 cents. Indies Pharma dipped 10 cents in trading 136,295 units at a 52 weeks’ low of $2.20, Jamaican Teas ended market activity in transferring 216,409 shares to close at $5 after falling 95 cents. Jetcon Corporation ended trading of 500 shares, after rising 5 cents to end at $1.30, Knutsford Express declined by 10 cents to settle at $10.10, with 1,844 units traded, Lasco Distributors exchanged 185,493 shares to close at $2.80 after falling 10 cents. 
Lasco Financial lost 10 cents in trading 65,342 shares to close at $3.10, Lasco Manufacturing lost 30 cents transferring 179,403 units at $3, Limners and Bards declined15 cents in trading 318,551 units at $2.44. Lumber Depot ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.37 with 664,558 stock units changing hands, MailPac declined by 5 cents trading 215,722 units at $1.70, Main Event climbed 38 cents to settle at $5.99 with 47,619 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables dipped 75 cents in trading of 5,557 units to close at $6.23. Paramount Trading closed 2 cents higher at $1.94, with 25,000 stock units changing hands, SSL Venture Capital declined by 11 cents to settle at $1.12 after trading 5,882 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies lost 50 cents exchanging 19,267 units to end at $8 and tTech closed trading of 1,100 units and gained 83 cents to end at $4.70.
The T&T Composite Index slipped 2.16 points to 1,501.13. The All T&T Index shed 3.49 points to end at 1,915.36, while the Cross Listed Index closed with a decline of 0.11 points at 147.23.
Losers| Angostura Holdings exchanged 65 shares and fell 15 cents to end at $16.20, First Citizens Bank dropped $1.35 as 17,947 stock units changed hands to settle at $46.80, JMMB Group shed 1 cent to end at $2.48, with 600 stock units crossing the market. Trinidad & Tobago NGL transferred 105,933 shares and fell 10 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $20, Unilever Caribbean traded 36 stock units and slipped 50 cents to a 52 weeks’ low of $20.50 and West Indian Tobacco lost $1 to close at $38 while trading 69 stock units.
Trading in February resulted in an average of 624,731 units valued at $3,239,665 for each security.
Supreme Ventures lost $1 to end at $20, with 73,161 shares changing hands, Sygnus Credit Investments closed at $20.50, with a loss of $3.30 swapping 124,690 shares. Victoria Mutual Investments lost 50 cents to end at $7.50, in trading 295,373 shares, Wisynco Group lost $2.45 in transferring 495,518 shares at $20, and in the preference section, Productivity Business Solution closed with 5,000 units crossing the exchange and rose $5 to $105.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading was negative with a reading of two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and eight with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors traded 100,800 shares to close at $2.90 after falling 8 cents. Limners and Bards ended trading of 237,677 units and gained 8 cents to end at $2.59, Lumber Depot closed with a loss of 2 cents at $1.38, after swapping 83,259 shares, Mailpac Group declined 5 cents in trading of 1,645,068 units at $1.75. Main Event ended with a loss of 1 cent at $5.61 with 10,463 stock units changing hands, Medical Disposables closed trading of 5,500 units and gained 83 cents to end at $6.98, Paramount Trading finished the day at $1.92 after rising 2 cents with 20,000 shares traded. Stationery and Office Supplies lost 75 cents after 78,692 stock units changed hands, to close at $8.50 and tTech declined 31 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.87 with 11,194 units crossing the exchange.
The T&T Composite Index slipped 6.72 points to close at 1,503.29. The All T&T Index shed 9.37 points to end at 1,918.85, while the Cross Listed Index closed with a decline of 0.55 points to end at 147.34.
Trinidad & Tobago NGL transferred 11,677 shares and fell 15 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $20.10. Trinidad Cement lost 4 cents and closed trading of 36,438 units at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.81 and West Indian Tobacco lost 25 cents to close at $39 while trading 17,465 stock units.
Main Market stock suffering significant declines include NCB Financial $1.55, Caribbean Cement $2, PanJam Investments $2.01, Scotia Group $2, Sygnus Credit $3.30 and Wisynco off $2.45.
