JSE struggles to break out

The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market continues to struggle to move decisively away from the 108,000 point level, the previous point of resistance now turn support, on the all Jamaican composite index. In Friday’s trading the market pulled back from just under 110,000 points it closed ta on Thursday.
Trading in the market resulted in the prices of 10 stocks rising, 8 declining as 31 securities changed hands, ending in 4,581,896 units trading, valued at $24,655,549, in all market segments and 3 stocks closed a new 52 weeks’ high, in all market segments. The main market of the JSE Market Index lost 1,163.43 points to 98,088.54, theJSE All Jamaican Composite index fell 1,300.42 points to close at 108,575.56 and the JSE combined index dropped by 1,097.94 points to end at 100,748.95.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and just 2 with offers that were lower. The indications from pass comparisons with the next day actual performance suggests that the numbers of stocks likely to rise on the next trading day will be close to the number of higher bids but the negatives number could end being 2 to 4 times the above lower bids.
In trading, Cable & Wireless continues to shed cents from the stock price as it traded 105,232 shares, to end at 43 cents 2 cents down. Caribbean Cement had just 10,000 shares trading, but it lost 20 cents to close at $4.80, Carreras had just 3,200 units changing hands at $1 higher to $51, Jamaica Stock Exchange had 15,850 units changing hands for 5 cents more to reach a new 52 weeks closing high of $5.05 as the board of the company meets on Monday coming, to declare a dividend. National Commercial Bank lost 60 cents while trading 131,412 units to end at $29, Sagicor Group finished with 25,900 shares to close at $12, Proven Investments traded a good volume of 368,945 shares to close at 21 US cents, but finished with the bid at US 22 cents for a hand full of shares. If the stock should trade at this level the valuation would be a PE ratio of 48 times ongoing earnings, well above any other stock on the exchange. Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.25% preference share trading 1.8 million units and the 8.75% preference share ending with 999,225 shares.