JSE Main Market drops

The primary market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange enjoyed almost three times the value trading as on Tuesday but the indices slipped at the close.
At the close, JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,461.90 points to close at 551,818.48, the JSE Market Index lost 1,305.26 points to 502,483.90 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.70 points to close at 137.62.
The market closed with 40 securities changing hands in the main and US dollar markets with 15 advancing, 15 declining and 10 trading firm. Main market activity ended with 38 securities accounting for 17,575,871 units valued at $314,642,943, in contrast to 35,992,474 units valued at $119,732,182 on Tuesday from 35 securities.
Sagicor Select Funds dominated trading with 6.1 million shares for 34.5 percent of the day’s trade, followed Carreras with 3.5 million units and 19.7 percent of traded volume and JMMB Group with 2.1 million shares and 11.7 percent of the total volume.
The market closed with an average of 462,523 units valued at an average of $8,280,077 for each security traded, in contrast to 1,028,356 units valued at an average of $3,420,919 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 619,777 units valued at $4,370,662 and previously, an average of 703,941 units valued at $2,278,299 for each security changing hands. The market closed out November with an average of 653,621 units valued at $8,699,916 for each security changing hands.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 19.2 with the main market ending at 18.9 times 2019 current year’s earnings.
In the premier market, Barita Investments lost 45 cents to settle at $70.55, with 791,907 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement dipped $1.50 to $77.50 while trading 2,230 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained 60 cents to end at $36.60, in exchanging 1,151 stock units, Grace Kennedy closed 98 cents lower at $65, in transferring 436,306 units. Jamaica Broilers slumped to $36, after losing $2 with 143,324 shares crossing the exchange, JMMB Group gained $1 to end at $48, after exchanging 2,054,039 stock units, Kingston Wharves dived to $53.05, after losing $7.45 while trading 2,800 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose by $1.31 to close at $13, with 43,087 units changing hands. NCB Financial Group climbed $3.97 to $204, in swapping 127,891 shares, Portland JSX gained 98 cents to end at $9 and trading 54,422 stock units, Proven Investments closed $1.95 lower at $46, with an exchange of 20,043 units, Sagicor Group gained $1 in transferring 69,489 shares to close at $67. Salada Foods lost $1.39 swapping 1,120 units to settle at $30, Scotia Group closed 80 cents lower at $54.20, in exchanging 333,238 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 99 cents trading 340,580 stock units to settle at $25.01. Victoria Mutual Investments gained 38 cents to close at $8.90, after exchanging 39,749 shares and Wisynco Group climbed 70 cents to end at $24, with 915,085 shares changing hands.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 423,162 units valued at US$129,633 with the market index losing 6.87 points to close at 207.22. Proven Investments closed at 32 US cents, after trading 420,126 shares and JMMB Group 6% preference share ended at US$1.01 while exchanging 3,036 shares.