Down day for JSE majors

In Thursday’s stock market activity, declining stocks dominated market activity with the market declining after falling stocks outnumbered rising ones three to two, with a 24 percent decline in the volume of stocks trading, with the value plunging 34 percent from Wednesday’s levels, at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,424.63 points to 469,443.24, the JSE Main Index declined 3,894.62 points to end at 431,733.79 and the JSE Financial Index fell 1.12 points to 107.52.
Trading ended with 48 securities compared to 49 on Wednesday, with 15 stocks rising, 22 declining and 11 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative value of each stock, averages 17.1 based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 7,921,981 shares trading for $90,793,813 down from 10,422,317 units at $137,283,960 on Wednesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 16.6 percent of total volume after exchanging 1.32 million shares, followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund 15.1 percent with 1.20 million units and JMMB Group 7.25% preference share 11.9 percent, with 939,170 units.
Trading averaged 165,041 units at $1,891,538, compared to 212,700 shares at $2,801,713 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averages 238,979 units at $4,112,281, in contrast to 243,159 units at $4,237,836 on Wednesday. May ended with an average of 439,937 units at $4,698,961.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 13 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement declined $2.18 to $92.82 in trading 18,118 shares, Eppley spiked $4.90 to $43 in switching ownership of 1,100 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained 25 cents in closing at $42 after a transfer of 11,510 shares, First Rock Capital rose 50 cents to $16 with 10,546 units changing hands. Grace Kennedy shed 50 cents to close at $98.95 with the swapping of 45,461 stocks, Guardian Holdings ended $25.99 lower at a new low of $685 with 10,021 stock units crossing the market, JMMB Group fell 50 cents to $38 in an exchange of 465,053 shares, Margaritaville gained 25 cents to close at $14.25 in transferring 955 units. Mayberry Investments lost 49 cents to end at $5.65 with the swapping of 2,000 stocks, NCB Financial rallied $1.93 to finish at $144.95 after 22,820 shares cleared the market. Palace Amusement shed $1 to close at $1,174 in switching ownership of 138 units, Pan Jam Investment declined $4.49 to $65 with an exchange of 60,000 stocks, Portland JSX popped 62 cents to $8.80, trading 80,100 shares. Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell 55 cents to $8.50 after an exchange of 290 units, Scotia Group advanced $1.70 to $41.70 in switching ownership of 39,847 stock units, Sterling Investments shed 20 cents to close at $2.80 with the swapping of 221,807 shares, Supreme Ventures rallied 41 cents to $19.80 in an exchange of 249,511 shares and Wisynco Group shed 35 cents to close at $15.49 after and exchange of 56,894 stocks.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7.25% lost 40 cents to close at $1.10 after exchanging 939,170 stock units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share dropped $4.89 to $100.11 in trading 10,000 units.

Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.