Seventy-five percent fewer shares traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Monday than on Friday, but the market closed higher even as more stocks fell than those rising.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,190.14 points to settle at 405,372.12; the Main Index rose 1,139.72 points to end at 370,010.35, the JSE Financial Index rose 0.39 points to settle at 96.09.
Trading ended with 47 securities changing hands compared to 44 securities on Friday and ended with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 21 stocks declining, with 13 remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio of the market ended at 15.4 based on IC Insider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 23,030,074 shares for $57,044,608 compared to 20,605,919 units at $226,351,750 on Friday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 18.64 million shares for 81 percent of total volume followed by Transjamaican Highway with 1.16 million units for 5 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.09 million units for 4.8 percent market share.
Trading ended with an average of 490,004 units changing hands for $1,214,010on Monday, in comparison to an average of 468,316 shares at $5,144,358 on Friday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 417,892 units at $2,023,026 for each security, in contrast to 409,246 units at $2,120,026. Trading for the month to date compares well, with July’s average trade of 392,128 shares for $2,444,356.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows one stock ended with the bid higher than the last selling price and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund lost 60 cents to settle at $48.50, with 17,041 shares crossing the market, First Rock Capital gained 74 cents in closing at $13 and trading 3,660 stocks, JMMB Group shed 81 cents to close at $30.34, with 162,375 units changing hands. Key Insurance declined 48 cents in closing at $7.51 after 8,181 shares crossed the exchange. Kingston Properties shed 35 cents to settle at $7.25 with investors switching ownership of 412 units, Kingston Wharves climbed 50 cents to end at $53.80, with 8,650 units changing hands, Mayberry Investments lost 30 cents to finish at $5.10 after 15,770 shares crossed the market. 
Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 65 cents to end at $8.10 with an exchange of 7,945 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $11 to $163 in trading just one share, Palace Amusement dropped $138.50 to $1,551.50, with nine units crossing the market. PanJam Investment lost $2 to end at $70 trading 3,160 units, Portland JSX advanced by 38 cents to close at $7.88 with an exchange of 9,700 stocks, Salada Foods rose $3 to $28 in trading 13,594 stock units. Scotia Group gained 95 cents in ending at $45 while exchanging 11,930 stock units and Seprod lost 99 cents to end at $54 and crossing the exchange with 26,126 stocks.
In the preference segment, Eppley 8.25% shed $1.05 to close at $7.45, while trading 1,020 stock units and 138 Student Living Preference share, gained 90 cents, in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.88 after investors switched the ownership of 200 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
