JSE Main Market drops

Market activity ended on Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 54 percent and the value 455 percent more than on Wednesday at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market as rising stocks were edged out by those declining.
The All Jamaican Composite Index lost 2,109.81 points to settle at 458,827.85, the JSE Main Index declined 1,867.86 points to close at 400,487.74 and the JSE Financial Index remained unchanged at 94.50.
Trading ended with 57 securities compared to 55 on Wednesday, with 21 rising, 24 declining and 12 ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a formula for computing appropriate stock values, averages 14.5. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on ICInsider.com’s forecasted earnings for companies with financial years ending up to August 2023.
Overall, 20,316,947 shares were exchanged for $488,632,009 versus 13,212,264 units at $88,081,914 on Wednesday. Transjamaican Highway led trading with 5.40 million shares for 26.6 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 2.90 million units for 14.3 percent of the day’s trade, Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share chipped in with 2.88 million units for 14.2 percent market share, Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.84 million units for 9.1 percent market share and QWI Investments with 1.38 million units for 6.8 percent market share.
Trading averages 356,438 units at $8,572,491, compared to 240,223 shares at $1,601,489 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 242,886 units at $4,584,264, compared to 228,534 units at $4,080,209 on the previous trading day. April closed with an average of 532,209 units at $5,709,319.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments shed 55 cents to end at $89.35 in exchanging 5,007 shares, Berger Paints lost $1.05 in closing at $11.20, with 2,789 stocks crossing the exchange, Caribbean Cement declined $1.01 to $63.99, with 10,812 units clearing the market. Caribbean Producers fell 67 cents to end at $17.83 with an exchange of 913,139 stock units, Eppley advanced $1 to $46 while exchanging 454 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund increased 30 cents to end at $42.30 in switching ownership of 1,789 stock units. GraceKennedy lost $1.99 to $110.50 in trading 126,197 shares, Jamaica Broilers climbed $1.48 to close at $28.50, with 58,631 stocks changing hands, JMMB Group dropped 50 cents in closing at $46 after exchanging 214,420 units. Key Insurance fell 65 cents to $4.05 and closed with an exchange of 460,091 shares, Massy Holdings slipped 50 cents to $97, with 28,231 stock units crossing the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rallied $15.26 in ending at $107.26 after trading 46 stocks. NCB Financial popped $3 in closing at $115 in an exchange of 129,265 units, 138 Student Living shed 85 cents to end at $4.40, with 898,887 stocks crossing the market, Palace Amusement declined $169.02 to close at $950 in exchanging 11 shares. PanJam Investment gained $1 to $67 with the swapping of 831,574 stock units, Sagicor Group declined $1.50 to end at $55 after trading 22,168 stocks, Salada Foods shed 38 cents in ending at $5.66 while exchanging 5,525 shares. Scotia Group rose 75 cents to $36.84 after exchanging 146,609 units, Supreme Ventures advanced 99 cents to close at $31 with an exchange of 290,748 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments fell 50 cents to $16.50, with 123,725 shares crossing the market and Sygnus Real Estate Finance popped $1.64 to $16.80 after exchanging 5,200 units.
In the preference segment, Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share rallied $1.25 to $108.25, closing after 2,877,023 stocks changed hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.