Trading climbed on Friday with an exchange of 124 percent more shares valued 77 percent more than on Thursday as more stocks rose than declined on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market and ending with the market indices closing higher than the January close, almost wiping out the loss suffered since the start of the year.
The market should move higher during the coming week following record breaking results by Grace Kennedy with earnings of $6.26 that suggests the price should climb to over $100 and Caribbean Cement with record earnings of $3.76 and a likely price of $75. Technical indicators are also pointing to a run in the market to 437,000 points on the All Jamaica Composite Index in the short term.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 2,408.76 points to 432,649.72, the Main Index climbed 2,126.52 points to 394,528.81 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.78 points to settle at 100.72.
Trading ended with 47 active securities, the same as on Thursday and closed with prices of 21 rising, 15 declining and 11 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio averages 17.1 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Traders exchanged 35,675,257 shares for $112,526,954 compared to 15,923,380 units at $63,507,779 on Thursday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 63.1 percent of total volume, after 22.50 million shares changed hands following comments from the company’s Managing Director, Earl Barrett, that the rate to be paid for energy produced by their phase two wind turbine will fall from 13 US cents to 5.6 us cents per Kilowatt hour effective April. Sagicor Select Financial Fund followed with 12.9 percent for 4.60 million units, Pulse Investments 8.1 percent, with 2.88 million units, Ciboney Group chipped in for 3.7 percent with 1.32 million units and Key Insurance 3.4 percent trading 1.23 million units.
Trading for the day averaged 759,048 units at $2,394,191, Thursday ended with an average of 338,795 shares at $1,351,229. Trading month to date averaged 419,015 units at $2,509,660 for each security, in contrast to 399,667 units at $2,516,231 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Barita Investments gained 36 cents to end at $81.50, after trading 10,772 shares, Caribbean Cement climbed $2.51 to $65, with the swapping of 60,748 stocks. Carreras lost 34 cents in closing at $7.41, in a transfer of 97,841 units, Ciboney Group dropped 36 cents to $1.44, with 1,316,248 shares crossing the exchange, Eppley fell $2.10 to $25, with the swapping of 21,424 units. Grace Kennedy advanced $3.50 to a 52 weeks’ high of $84.50, with 30,224 shares clearing the market, Jamaica Broilers gained 20 cents to close at $29, with 235,232 stock units changing hands, Jamaica Stock Exchange climbed $1.60 to $19.60, after the swapping of 61,828 stocks. Key Insurance shed 79 cents to $4.01, trading 1,226,874 stock units, Kingston Properties declined $1.33 to $5.84 in 5,835 units crossing the exchange. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $10 to $145 after exchanging 260 stocks, NCB Financial climbed $3 to close at $144, transferring 78,611 shares, 138 Student Living rose 90 cents to $6 exchanging 3,210 stock units, Sagicor Group rose 50 cents to $52.10, in switching ownership of 468,195 stock units. 
Sagicor Real Estate Fund picked up 48 cents to close at $8.30, after 155,883 shares crossed the market, Salada Foods climbed $3.50 to $44, exchanging 97 stocks. Scotia Group lost 50 cents in ending at $42.50 trading 34,852 units, Seprod shed 54 cents to $69, with the swapping of 8,011 shares, Stanley Motta gained 35 cents to settle at $5.35, with 50 units clearing the market. Sterling Investments ended 36 cents higher at $3 in an exchange of 33,207 stock units and Supreme Ventures climbed $1.60 to $16.90 with 138,316 units changing hands.
In the preference segment, Eppley 8.75% preference shares rose 55 cents to end at $7.40, in exchanging 153 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
