Trading activity jumped on Monday with 66 percent more shares crossing the market than on Friday, with the value just marginally up, when the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market closed.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 399.84 points to 428,644.20, the Main Index advanced by 590.88 points to 391,067.59 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.10 points to settle at 100.09.
Trading ended with 49 securities changing hands, up from 45 on Friday and closed with 24 rising, 18 declining and seven remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio now averages 16.8 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 14,886,632 shares for $96,260,639 compared to 8,950,572 units at $95,033,632 on Friday. Pulse Investments led trading with 33.1 percent of total volume, after exchanging 4.92 million shares, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 18.1 percent for 2.69 million units, Transjamaican Highway ended with 17 percent of the day’s trade for 2.53 million units and QWI Investments accounted for 11 percent with 1.63 million units changing hands leading the price to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.05.
Trading averaged 303,809 units at $1,964,503, compared to 198,902 shares at $2,111,859 on Friday. Month to date averages 380,187 units at $2,405,945, in contrast to 396,747 units at $2,501,656 on the prior trading day. Trading in January averaged 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 six with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Berger Paints rose 69 cents to $13.89 after exchanging 1,389 shares, Caribbean Cement shed 49 cents to settle at $59.51, in trading 6,907 stock units. Eppley gained 40 cents in closing at $22.50, with 51 stock units changing hands. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced by $7.84 to $48.90, after transferring 11,351 shares, Grace Kennedy ended 90 cents higher at $74.60 after trading 253,665 stock units and trading at a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $77.48, Jamaica Producers slipped 34 cents to finish at $19.61, in exchanging 2,649 stocks, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 24 cents to close at $19 trading 3,544 stock units. JMMB Group fell by $1.12 to $31.83, with an exchange of 125,485 shares, Kingston Properties gained 25 cents to close at $7.25, after the swapping 31 units. Kingston Wharves declined $1.50 to $45, with an exchange of 4,903 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy advanced by $3 to $140, after exchanging 335 units. NCB Financial declined $2.45 in closing at $135, with 141,010 stock units changing hands, Palace Amusement climbed $191.85 to $1,041.85, with 101 stocks crossing the market, Proven Investments finished at $41, with gains of $2.10 trading 18,860 stock units. 
Sagicor Group fell by $2 to $50, with 14,927 shares crossing the market, Salada Foods dropped $5.66 to $44.24, with an exchange of 20,124 units. Scotia Group rose $1 to $44, with the swapping of 7,875 shares, Seprod shed $1.51 to end at $70, after exchanging 6,708 shares, Supreme Ventures slid 65 cents to $16.75, with 44,266 stock units crossing the market and Wisynco Group lost 36 cents to end at $16.19, with an exchange of 671,770 shares.
In the preference segment, Eppley 8.75% preference shares rose 81 cents to close at $7.40, with 20 stocks changing hands and Eppley 8.25% advanced by $1 to $8 trading a mere one unit.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
