There is no end in sight for the falling prices on the Jamaica Stock Exchange as investors sent the market indices down sharply by the close of trading on Tuesday.
The market closed with 48 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with the prices of 18 stocks advancing, 18 declining and eight securities trading firm. At the close the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index plunged 17,178.04 points to close at 461,994.85, the JSE Market Index nose-dived by 15,605.81 points to 420,829.59 and the JSE Financial Index slid 4.64 points to 115.61.
The JSE Main Market activity ended with 44 securities accounting for 21,490,705 units valued at $169,613,510 in contrast to 28,292,088 units valued at $246,450,479 from 43 securities on Monday.
Kingston Properties led trading with 6 million shares for 28 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 4.8 million units for 22 percent of the day’s trade, and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 3.2 million units for 15 percent of the market’s volume.
The Market closed with an average of 488,425 units valued at an average of $3,854,852 for each security traded, in contrast to 657,956 units valued at an average of $5,731,406 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 691,386 units valued at $4,884,889 for each security changing hands compared to 722,611 units valued at $5,069,124 for each security traded. Trading in February resulted in an average of 624,731 units valued at $3,239,665 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 16.6, while the Main Market ended at 15.7 times 2019 earnings.
In the Main Market, Barita Investments gained 80 cents trading 59,211 shares and closed at $62.30, Berger Paints added $1 to end at $13, in transferring 1,800 units, Caribbean Cement shed $2.99 to settle at $55.01, in exchanging 66,781 shares, Eppley closed at $13.50, after losing $2.50 swapping 2,654 units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund ended $2.30 lower to $37.70, with 45,951 shares changing hands, First Rock Capital added 41 cents to finish at $12, in transferring 41,882 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange fell to $23.05, with a loss of 94 cents in exchanging 108,430 shares. Kingston Properties gained 34 cents trading 6,026,693 units and closed at $5.84, Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 30 cents to close at $9.60, with 2,500 units changing hands, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy advanced $2.98 to $149.98, in trading 300 units. PanJam Investment ended the day at $87.80, with a loss of $1.20 after transferring 63,172 shares, Portland JSX Fund ended $1.50 higher to settle at $9, in swapping 5,408 units, Proven Investments gained $1 to finish at $39.50, after trading 18,556 stock units. Pulse Investments lost 60 cents to close at $9.40, with an exchange of 75,638 shares, Sagicor Group dropped $3 to end at $57, in transferring 209,650 shares. 
Scotia Group added $1.40 to end at $53.40, after swapping 1,495 units, Seprod gained $1 trading 493,572 stock units and closed at $44, Stanley Motta closed 35 cents higher to $5.20, with an exchange of 88,500 units, Supreme Ventures closed at $19.30, after losing $1.70 transferring 364,466 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments closed at $18.91, with a loss of $2.04 swapping 110,256 stock units, Victoria Mutual Investments ended 84 cents higher to settle at $6.84, with 446,117 shares changing hands and Wisynco Group gained 50 cents to end trading 501,131 shares at $17.50.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 88,686 units for US$29,064. The market lost 1.97 points to close at 208.45. First Rock traded 26,148 units at 8 US cents, JMMB Group 5.75% preference share closed at US$2.12, with a loss of 3 cents exchanging 6,975 units. Proven Investments closed with gains of 2 cents transferring 30,750 shares at 28 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments finished at 15 US cents, with 24,813 units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.