Tuesday’s market activity drove more stocks down than up at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market resulting in the main market indices declining after trading volume slipped modestly but with 39 percent higher value than on Monday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,548.17 points to 424,763.31, the JSE Main Index carved out a loss 3,280.43 points to settle at 387,331.81 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.77 points to close at 99.82. The day’s loss pulled the market down two percent for the year to date.
Trading ended with 43 securities changing hands, down from 48 on Monday and closed with prices of 16 stocks rising, 21 declining and six remaining unchanged.
The average PE Ratio closed at 16.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 5,599,223 shares for $35,696,430 compared to 5,906,893 units at $25,643,760 on Monday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 19.7 percent of total volume for 1.11 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund 17.9 percent, with 1 million units and Pulse Investments with 15.4 percent market share for 863,587 units.
Trading for the day averaged 130,214 units at $830,150 compared to 123,060 shares at $534,245 on Monday. Trading month to date averaged 292,746 units at $1,031,829, in contrast to 307,009 units at $1,049,528 on Monday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments fell $1.82 to end at $82.10, in exchanging 50,001 shares, Berger Paints closed at $12.01, after losing $1.99 with 1,741 units crossing the exchange. Eppley lost 60 cents in closing at $22, with an exchange of 2,600 shares, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund slid $1.99 to $41.01 in trading 390 units, Jamaica Broilers rose 75 cents to $28.25, with investors swapping 1,943 stock units. JMMB Group gained 47 cents to settle at $33, in trading 51,000 shares, Kingston Wharves finished 50 cents higher at $48.50 after a transfer of 1,199 stock units, 138 Student Living shed $1.09 to close at $3.35 in trading 11,000 shares, Proven Investments lost 40 cents to close at $36.50 with 805 units changing hands. 
Salada Foods settled at $34.01, with a loss of 99 cents after exchanging 100 shares, Scotia Group climbed $1.90 to $44, in swapping 4,422 units, Stanley Motta slipped 41 cents to $5.06, in crossing the market with 4,021 stock units and Supreme Ventures shed 65 cents to close at $16.65, after 34,402 shares cleared the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
