JSE closes higher in August

Price movement on the Jamaica Stock Exchange picked on Wednesday with the all Jamaica Composite Index climbing more than 800 points over the close on Tuesday and 632.54 points more than at the end of July. A total of 2,531,618 units valued at $31,698,751, up from $27,344,934 on Tuesday, changed hands. Of the stocks trading in all market segments, the junior market accounted for 1,201,093 units valued at $5,410,798.
After trading closed, Jamaica Stock Exchange advised that the Board of Directors will be considering a stock split at a board meeting scheduled to be held on Wednesday, September 21, 2016.
At the close of trading, the JSE Market Index climbed 757.91 points to end at 160,387.57. The all Jamaica Composite Index rose 847.60 points to close at 178,203.70 and the JSE combined index moved up 870.87 points, to end at 171,517.24 as the junior market gained strongly, thus negating some of the main market fall.
At the close of the market prices of 18 securities gained out of a total of 41 that traded, with 10 declining in the overall market, including 9 stocks rising and 4 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 showed 18 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers. The strong reading of the IC indicator is not a good indicator for Thursday trading activities as it comes at the end of the month when portfolio managers intervene in the market in support of the portfolios they manage.
In market activity, Cable & Wireless traded just 56,300 shares and closed 5 cents higher at $1.10, Caribbean Cement traded only 1,473 shares to climb 89 cents and closed at $26.49, Carreras traded 61,417 shares but fell 50 cents to close at $65.50, Grace Kennedy lost 15 cents to end at $43.55, with 17,228 shares changing hands. Jamaica Broilers had 111,972 shares changing hands, to end with a loss of 8 cents at $14.52. Jamaica Producers fell 30 cents to end at $8.50 with 115,980 units trading, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with 18,034 units changing hands to close at $21.50, the announcement of a stock split could change investors’ perception of the stock when trading resumes on Thursday. JMMB Group traded 29,547 units at $10. Kingston Wharves traded 30,629 shares to close at $17.01, Margaritaville Turks traded 300,000 shares to close at 21 US cents after rising by a cent, Mayberry Investments ended with 15,041 shares trading to close at $3.28,National Commercial Bank had 149,200 units changing hands but fell 51 cents to close at $40.49. Pan Jamaican Investments rose 40 cents to close at $23.50, after trading 1,078 shares, Portland JSX traded 24,571 units at $11, Radio Jamaica rose 5 cents in trading 9,388 shares, to end at $1.60, Sagicor Group gained 30 cents with 87,131 shares changing hands at $22.30, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 15 cents in trading 37,693 shares, to close at $10.15. Scotia Group gained 40 cents to close at $30.40 with 4,000 shares changing hands, Supreme Ventures gained 9 cents with 42,500 units changing hands at $4.80 and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 212,967 units to close at $2.10.