Investors held back trading Main Market stocks

Investors pulled in their wallets in trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday, resulting in a 42 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded, with the value 43 percent lower than on Wednesday, with trading activity in 54 securities compared to 50 on Wednesday, with 23 rising, 15 declining and 16 ending unchanged.
At the close, 6,849,323 shares were traded for $56,037,409, down from 11,799,520 units at $97,798,065 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 126,839 shares at $1,037,730, versus 235,990 shares at $1,955,961 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 217,351 units at $1,396,938, compared with 223,956 units at $1,423,151 on the previous day. April closed with an average of 264,549 units at $1,409,410.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 3.30 million shares for 48.1 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 793,520 units for 11.6 percent of the day’s trade and Carreras with 631,278 units for 9.2 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index lost 2,663.44 points to close at 367,119.06, the JSE Main Index fell 2,392.04 points to 331,599.86 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.20 points to end trading at 75.23.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.5 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on the last selling prices of stocks and earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending up to August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement shed $1.99 to end at a  52 weeks’ closing low of $48.01 in switching ownership of 18,340 shares, Caribbean Producers declined 38 cents in closing at $9.02 in an exchange of 34,946 stock units, Jamaica Broilers fell $1.64 to $34.80 after exchanging 17,477 units.

JMMB Group rallied 38 cents and ended at $30.38, with 35,912 stocks crossing the market, Kingston Wharves dropped $1.48 to $30.52 after an exchange of 1,000 shares, Massy Holdings fell $1 to $97, with 5,421 stocks changing hands. Mayberry Jamaican Equities popped 49 cents to end at $10.50 in an exchange of 1,125 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $12 in closing at $71 after investors traded 66 stock units, Pan Jamaica Group rose $3.59 to $54.09, with 42,788 stocks passing through the market. Proven Investments increased 84 cents to close at $26.34 as investors exchanged 21,359 shares, Sagicor Group advanced 74 cents to end at $50.74 after 4,916 stock units passed through the market, Scotia Group gained 50 cents to close at $34.50 with 505,530 units clearing the market and Seprod lost 98 cents in closing at $70 while exchanging 101,819 stocks.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% climbed $19 and ended at $104 with an exchange of 303 shares and 138 Student Living preference share gained 50 cents to close at $125.50 as investors exchanged 47 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.