Jamaican stocks retreat from record

The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed down on Thursday after hitting a new record on Wednesday. The All Jamaica Composite Index dropped 1,569.85 points to close at 189,153.12, bringing the year to date gains to 13 percent. The JSE Market Index fell 1,403.72 points to finish at 170,178.32 and the JSE combined index declined 1,147.57 points to end at 183,032.25 with a gain for the year to date of 15.6 percent.
At the close 18,462,121 units valued at $230,990,500 changed hands, compared to 6,616,334 units valued at $97,621,824 changing hands on Wednesday. The junior market accounted for 11,250,424 units trading valued at $76,439,888 of the stocks traded.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 277,373 and 229,873 month units to date. On Wednesday, an average of 186,716 units traded and 182,374 month to date. The average for the October was 220,811 units.
The market closed with 42 securities trading as the prices of 9 gained while 17 declined in the overall market, including 4 stocks rising and 7 falling, in the junior market.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 10 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and just 1 with a lower offer.
In market activity, Barita Investments fell 10 cents in trading 122,337 units to close at $4, Berger Paints traded 49,519 shares to end at $6.25 after rising 2 cents, Cable & Wireless rose 3 cents and closed at 85 cents with 56,000 units trading. Caribbean Cement had just 10,748 units changing hands to close at $30, Carreras traded 1,980 shares to end at $65.50, Grace Kennedy climbed 46 cents in trading 50,947 units at $41.45, Jamaica Broilers gained 50 cents and closed at $14.50 with 241,400 shares changing ownership, Jamaica Producers lost 4 cents in trading 994,195 shares at $8.20. Jamaica Stock Exchange fell 30 cents, ending at $5.70 after trading 213,422 shares, JMMB Group traded 6,000 shares to end at $13.70, Kingston Properties traded 6,000 shares and closed at $10. Margaritaville Turks traded 1,629,049 shares to close at 22.01 US cents, after declining by 2.5 cents, National Commercial Bank ended with the trading of 49,275 shares to close at $45.50, Pan Jamaican Investment closed at $23.70 after trading 2,751,998 shares, Pulse Investments traded at $3 with 50,000 units changing owners. Radio Jamaica closed unchanged at $1.50 with 16,593 shares trading, Sagicor Group had 678,392 shares changing hands and rose 5 cents to close at $23.95, Scotia Group slipped 49 cents in trading 43,593 shares to close at $31.30, Seprod fell 50 cents in trading 14,051 shares to end at $28. Supreme Ventures lost 20 cents trading 2,000 shares to close at $4.80, Proven Investments traded 121,922 units slipping slightly to close at 19.9 US cents and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.5% preference share, traded 92,320 units to close at $2.10.