Huge Main Market bounce as winners crush losers

Investors shifted gears and pushed stocks solidly higher on the penultimate day of the 2023 first quarter at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday, with a 78 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded, after a 64 percent fall in value than on Wednesday, following trading in 60 securities compared to 56 on Wednesday, with prices of 30 rising, 13 declining and 17 ending unchanged.
A total of 13,390,755 shares were traded for $105,410,403 compared to 60,107,710 units at $290,707,932 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 223,179 shares at $1,756,840 versus 1,073,352 shares at $5,191,213 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 353,545 units at $2,691,945, compared with 360,213 units at $2,739,777 on the previous day. February closed with an average of 183,599 units at $2,160,070.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 5.86 million shares for 43.8 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 1.92 million units for 14.3 percent of the day’s trade, Supreme Ventures with 1.15 million units for 8.6 percent share of the day’s trading and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.01 million units for 7.6 percent market share.
The market indices surged, with the All Jamaican Composite Index popping 8,472.58 points to 377,465.17, the JSE Main Index climbing 8,348.24 points to 335,070.77 and the JSE Financial Index rallying 1.45 points to close at 77.60.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.6 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios incorporate ICInsider.com’s earnings forecasts for companies with the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 10 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments rose $1.17 to end at $81.20 with investors transferring 45,746 shares, Caribbean Cement climbed $5 to $56 as investors exchanged 15,391 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund increased $1.50 to close at $44.50 after a transfer of 4,453 stock units. First Rock Real Estate dipped $1.25 in closing at $10.74 after an exchange of 7,125 stocks, GraceKennedy climbed $2 to $82 with the swapping of 33,004 stock units, Guardian Holdings rallied $4 to $494, with 76 units clearing the market. Jamaica Broilers popped $1 after ending at $38 after an exchange of 453,507 stocks, Jamaica Producers lost 74 cents to close at $21 in switching ownership of 7,618 shares, Kingston Wharves advanced $1.10 in closing at $34 with an exchange of 22,177 stock units. Massy Holdings increased $8.11 to end at $89.11 in trading 1,002 stocks, NCB Financial shed 48 cents to $74.50, with 10,681 units crossing the market, Proven Investments gained 50 cents to end at $27 and closed with 3,803 shares changing hands. Sagicor Group advanced $3 after ending at $50 in trading 109,283 stocks, Scotia Group dropped 94 cents in closing at $34, with 124,974 shares changing hands, Seprod popped $3 to close at $70 while exchanging 24,463 units. Supreme Ventures rose $3.18 to end at $31 as 1,148,754 stock units passed through the market and Sygnus Real Estate Finance climbed 66 cents in closing at $9.96 in an exchange of 465 stocks.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% fell $43.39 in ending at $220, with 26 shares crossing the market, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% declined $98 to $2900 with a transfer of 2 stock units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share dropped $16.05 to close at $90.95 in an exchange of 62 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.