Falling stocks hit JSE main market hard – Friday

The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market dropped on Friday, with falling stocks beating out advancing stocks more than 2 to 1.
The market ended, with 38 securities trading in the main and US dollar markets, leading to 10 securities advancing, 22 declining and 6 trading firm, compared to 39 securities trading on Thursday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 2,998.29 points to close at 576,618.48, the JSE Index fell 2,724.67 to 524,971.18 and the JSE Financial Index eased 0.30 point to end at 143.45.
Market activity ended with, 63,085,464 units valued $295,520,034, in contrast to 112,036,085 units valued at $229,695,201 crossing the main market on Thursday.
Wigton Windfarm was the leading trade with 33.8 million units accounting for 54 percent of total volume, Sagicor Select Fund followed with 19 million shares accounting for 30 percent of the day’s trade and Jamaica Broilers with 3.6 million shares for 5.6 percent of the main market’s volume.
Trading closed with an average 1,752,374 units valued at $8,208,890 for each security traded, in contrast to 3,028,002 units for an average of $6,207,978 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 2,063,336 units valued at $11,963,163 and previously, 2,084,261 units valued at $12,234,013. July closed with an average of 1,297,718 shares at $17,985,644 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8  stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with a lower offer.
In the main market activity, Barita Investments jumped $4.25 to end at $74.75 in trading 23,880 shares, Berger Paints gained $1 to close at $19 trading 80,204 shares, Eppley lost 60 to settle at $16.40 with 20,000 shares changing hands, Grace Kennedy dipped $1.10 to settle at $69.90 with an exchange of 29,028 shares. Jamaica Broilers traded 3,581,466 shares and declined $2 to settle at $33, Jamaica Stock Exchange dropped $1.49 to end at $31, trading 12,183 shares, JMMB Group lost 95 cents to end at $52 with 92,264 stock units trading, Kingston Properties declined $1.50 to close at $6 while exchanging just 2,000 shares. Kingston Wharves dived $6 trading 14,283 shares to close at $63, Mayberry Jamaican Equities exchanged 11,285 stock units with a loss of 90 cents to close at $12, NCB Financial lost $1 to settle at $210 with 107,367 shares changing hands. Sagicor Group shed $1.50 to close at $74 with 87,490 stock units trading, Salada Foods shed $1 to settle at $32 with 14,378 shares changing hands, Scotia Group dropped $1 to end at $55, trading 550,220 shares. Seprod lost $2 to settle at $52 with 49,815 shares changing hands, Supreme Ventures rose $1 to end at $27, in trading 131,179 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments added 23 cents to settle at $23.08 with 125,100 shares changing hands.
Trading in the US securities market resulted in 746,926 units valued at $103,603 changing hands. Proven Investments closed at 26 US cents with an exchange of 21,000 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.5 cent in trading 725,926 shares to close at 13.5 US cents, leading the JSE USD Equities Index to lose 0.05 points to close at 193.66.