JSE 2,940 points intraday gains melt to 240

With less than half an hour to go before trading closed on Tuesday, the Jamaica Stock Exchange main market was posting gains just below 3,000 points, as Sagicor group jumped to a new high $22 with just 570 shares. By the close, a pull back in that stock along with Desnoes and Geddes, helped peg back the market to more subdued gains, to end at new closing record high.
The JSE Market Index rose 214.68 points to 151,684.04, the all Jamaica Composite Index gained 239.92 points to end at 168,471.77 and the JSE combined index gained 418.68 points to close at 159,633.58.
At the close, 5,096,460 units valued at $149,875,337 changed hands in all markets with the junior market accounting for of 1,801,000 units changed hands, valued at $7,668,101. Trading was broad based with a total of 44 securities being active in all market segments. Of the stocks trading 17 in the combined markets gained and 8 declined. Five stocks traded at 52 weeks’ closing high and 2 at intraday 52 weeks’ high as investors’ continue to push prices higher.
The main market was facing resistance around the 165,000 points level, on the all Jamaica composite index, now that it has crossed it and seems to be moving away, this level appears to be gathering strength to offer support for the market.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator had a reading of 16 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 8 with lower offers.
In trading, Berger Paints ended with 27,839 shares trading at $3.15 for a loss of 5 cents, Cable and Wireless rose 2 cents with 88,799 units changing hands to close at $1.40, but the stock was on offer at $1.35 at the close. Caribbean Cement dropped 94 cents to end at $19.50, with 5,019,013 shares trading, Carreras closed at $60.85, with 1,640 units changing hands for a rise of 85 cents, Desnoes and Geddes traded 136,442 shares but closed down 95 cents to $29.05, Gleaner Company traded 20,000 shares at $2.05 with a 35 cents gain. Grace Kennedy with 11,249 units changing hands, finished 20 cents higher at $84.20, Jamaica Broilers fell 5 cents and closed at $10.45 with 34,091 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers traded 2,141 shares to end at $32, Jamaica Stock Exchange fell 39 cents while trading 42,101 shares to close at $18.60. JMMB Group traded 331,521 units and rose 25 cents to end at $10.45, Kingston Wharves traded 21,296 units at $11.35, Mayberry Investments had 33,628 units changing hands for $4.35, National Commercial Bank gained 8 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $40.58, with 26,683 units changing hands. 138 Student Living had 138,798 units trading at $4.60 after rising to an intraday high of $4.70, Radio Jamaica had 215,062 shares trading with a gain of 92 cents to end at $5, but with 211,797 units selling for $4.20 and lower. Sagicor Group rose 19 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $20.19 with 3,200 units changing hands, after it traded as high as $22. Scotia Group had 92,420 shares changing hands at $30.01 and Supreme Ventures ended at $4.66 with 76,838 units changing hands and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 15,947 units to end at $1.98.