The market pulled back on Thursday with securities trading slipping from Wednesday’s levels and the value and the volume declining 45 and 7 per cent respectively, on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market as rising stocks just trailed those dropping and leading the market into its fifth consecutive day of decline.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 597.88 points to 449,787.35, the Main Index declined 1,399.33 points to 406,297.24 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.43 points to end at 97.66.
Trading ended with 49 securities compared to 50 on Wednesday, with 17 rising, 18 declining and 14 ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 15.8 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
A total of 12,785,374 shares traded for $98,802,364 versus 13,717,047 units at $178,932,191 on Wednesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 41.4 percent of total volume after exchanging 5.3 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway 12.5 percent with 1.60 million units. Pulse Investments cornered 9.8 percent, with 1.25 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund, with 9.2 percent after trading 1.17 million shares.
Trading averages 260,926 units at $2,016,375, compared to 274,341 shares at $3,578,644 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 253,960 units at $3,923,610, versus 252,319 units at $4,372,911 on Wednesday.
September closed with an average of 335,669 units at $7,507,404.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints popped 75 cents to $14 with the swapping of 11,943 stocks, Caribbean Cement rallied $5.79 to $120 in trading 21,171 units. Caribbean Producers gained 50 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.50 in an exchange of 309,379 stock units. Guardian Holdings rallied $19 to $530 with 20 units changing hands, Jamaica Producers lost 45 cents in closing at $21.55 with a transfer of 23,623 stocks. Key Insurance fell 48 cents to $4.50 in switching 14,362 shares, 138 Student Living dipped 49 cents to $4.51 in trading 667 units, PanJam Investment shed $1.22 to end at $63.25 after 8,030 stock units crossed the exchange, Proven Investments popped 80 cents to close at $33.50 in switching ownership of 4,182 shares. 
Pulse Investments gained 26 cents after ending at $5.10 with the swapping of 1,252,651 units, Sagicor Group advanced $1.90 to $54.90, with 66,292 stocks crossing the market, Scotia Group shed 83 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $36.67 in trading 296,755 stock units. Sygnus Real Estate Finance rose 91 cents to $18.95, with a transfer of 2,541 stocks and Victoria Mutual Investments shed 35 cents in closing at $6 after exchanging 98,789 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
