JSE main market drops

The major indices on the Jamaica Stock Exchange tumbled on Friday, erasing some of the gains made in the week to Thursday but still leaving the market ahead of the close of the previous week.
The All Jamaican Composite Index plunged 5,180.13 points to close at 551,529.35, the JSE Index dropped 4,693.76 points to 502,172.78 and the JSE Financial Index lost 1.50 points to close at 136.30.
The market closed with 35 securities changing hands in the main and US dollar markets with 14 advancing, 15 declining and 6 trading firm. Main market activity ended with 33 securities accounting for 43,823,390 units valued at $226,040,673 in contrast to 24,330,188 units valued at $89,041,566 on Thursday from 36 securities.
Wigton Windfarm dominated trading with 31.4 million shares for 72 percent of total volume, followed by Sagicor Select Funds with 5.5 million units accounting for 13 percent of the day’s trade and QWI Investments with 2.2 million shares and 5 percent. Wisynco Group was the only other stock trading over 1 million shares in the main market.
The market closed with an average of 1,327,982 units valued at an average of $6,849,717 for each security traded, in contrast to 675,839 units for an average of 2,473,377 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 516,075 units at $3,676,184 and previously, an average of 447,021 units valued at $3,379,509 for each security changing hands. The market closed out October with an average of 957,488 units valued at $13,947,047 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 13 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 17.3 with the main market ending at 18 times 2019 current year’s earnings.
In main market activity, Berger Paints lost 40 cents, in swapping 6,363 units to close at $18, Carreras declined 45 cents to settle at $8.30, with 213,783 shares traded, Grace Kennedy closed $2 lower at $$65 exchanging 233,978 shares, Jamaica Broilers dropped $1.42, ending the day’s trade at $35 with 171,913 shares changing hands. Jamaica Stock Exchange settled at $33, after losing $1.56 in trading 141,471 shares, Kingston Properties gained 40 cents trading 2,520 shares, to end at $5.70, Kingston Wharves closed 50 cents lower to $60.50 with 32,705 units changing hands. Mayberry Investments climbed $2.60 to $10, with 327,682 units traded, NCB Financial dived $8.08 to close at $205.02, after exchanging 234,135 units, Portland JSX gained 40 cents to end at $8.50 with the transfer of 585 units, Proven Investments dropped $1.75 to $45.25, with 13,942 shares changing hands. Pulse Investments closed 30 cents lower to $4.10 trading 46,222 shares. Seprod closed $1 lower to $50.53, with 396,704 shares crossing the exchange, Sygnus Credit Investments gained $1.55 swapping 88,532 units and ending at $23 and Wisynco Group added 50 cents settled at $23.50, with 1,030,907 shares changing hands.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 341,750 units valued at US$113,637 with the market advancing 11.60 points to close at 221.94. Proven Investments gained 0.5 US cents traded 336,750 units at a 52 weeks’ high of 30.5 US cents, after hitting a high of 35 cents before closing and Sygnus Credit Investments closed at 14 US cents with 5,000 units changing hands.