JSE Main Market closes May with gains

Trading activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded jumping 188 percent and the value 180 percent more than on Tuesday, with trading in 57 securities compared to 56 on Tuesday, resulting in prices of 31 rising, 13 declining and 13 ending unchanged.
A total of 24,443,891 shares were traded for $149,369,888 compared to 8,501,678 units at $53,413,585 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 428,840 shares at $2,620,524 compared with 151,816 shares at $953,814 on Tuesday. The month to date averaged 226,361 units at $1,362,447 versus 216,744 units at $1,302,689 on the previous day. Trading in April closed higher than in May with an average of 264,549 units at $1,409,410.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 13.87 million shares for 56.7 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 4.19 million units for 17.1 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Real Estate Fund with 1.06 million units for 4.3 percent of the day’s trade.
The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 112.20 points to close at 370,475.97, the JSE Main Index gained 696.33 points to 336,533.91 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.01 points to 75.43.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.5 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending up to August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement rallied $1.43 to close at $55.93 as investors traded 3,117 shares, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund dipped 40 cents in closing at $40 with investors transferring 6,512 stocks, First Rock Real Estate popped $1.10 and ended at $11.10 after 2,266 stock units were traded. Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 79 cents to close at $13.80 after 24,049 units were exchanged, JMMB Group advanced 69 cents to end at $29.99 after a transfer of 98,541 units, Margaritaville rose 99 cents to close at $18.41 with shareholders swapping 11 stocks, Massy Holdings dipped $1.50 and ended at $103 while exchanging 97,198 stock units. Mayberry Investments shed 97 cents to close at $8.03 after exchanging 14,614 shares, NCB Financial lost 50 cents in closing at $69.50 with investors trading 50,335 shares, Pan Jamaica Group climbed $5 to $57 with 634,963 stocks crossing the exchange, Portland JSX increased 84 cents to $11.54 after 44,836 stock units passed through the market, Sagicor Group gained $1.99 in closing at $51.99, with 212,000 units crossing the market, Seprod rallied $4 to $76 in an exchange of 167,248 units, Supreme Ventures advanced 42 cents to end at $27.89 with 24,083 shares clearing the market, Sygnus Credit Investments fell 39 cents to close at $12.60 with a transfer of 14,266 stocks and Wisynco Group climbed $1 to close at $19, with 401,684 stock units crossing the market.In the preference segment, Productive Business 10.50% preference share popped $124 to $1225 in an exchange of 101 stocks and Jamaica Public Service 7% increased by $9.30 and ended at $69.30 with one stock unit changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.