JSE Main Market ends April with gains

Market activity ended on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday, with the volume of shares trading rising 51 percent with a 290 percent higher consideration than on Thursday and closed with rising stocks exceeding those declining.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rose 608.23 points to end at 459,174.28, the JSE Main Index gained 658.02 points to close at 401,858.38 and the JSE Financial Index added 0.36 points to settle at 94.68.
Trading ended with 58 securities against 57 on Thursday, with 28 rising, 18 declining and 12 ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a formula for computing appropriate stock values, averages 15. 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 the close of August 2023.
Overall, 15,475,154 shares were exchanged for $415,509,572 versus 10,243,525 units at $106,618,802 on Thursday. Productive Business Solutions 9.75% Preference share led trading with 2.88 million shares for 18.6 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 2.71 million units for 17.5 percent of the day’s trade, QWI Investments with 2.06 million units for 13.3 percent market share, Transjamaican Highway with 1.75 million units for 11.3 percent market share and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.40 million units for 9 percent market share.
Trading averages 266,813 units at $7,163,958, compared to 179,711 shares at $1,870,505 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 532,209 units at $5,709,319, compared to 547,329 units at $5,626,441 on the previous trading day. March closed with an average of 610,787 units at $6,967,031.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 13 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement climbed $4.18 after ending at $75.18 with the swapping of 90,129 shares, Eppley fell 60 cents to $39, with 4,468 stocks crossing the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained $4 in closing at $46 after switching ownership of 406 units. GraceKennedy declined $1.98 to end at $105.02 in trading 159,168 stock units, Jamaica Broilers rose 69 cents to close at $28.99 with 31,681 stocks clearing the market, Jamaica Stock Exchange dropped $1 to end at $22 after trading 15,821 shares. JMMB Group shed $1.64 to end at $45.86 in an exchange of 245,642 stock units, Kingston Properties rallied $1.26 in closing at $8.76 in trading 45,860 units, Kingston Wharves advanced $1 to $41.50, with 11,413 shares crossing the exchange. Mayberry Jamaican Equities popped 81 cents to close at $12.19 after exchanging 69,283 stocks, NCB Financial increased $4.29 in closing at $114.30 after trading 54,958 stock units, PanJam Investment advanced 75 cents to close at $66.05 with an exchange of 103,511 units. Proven Investments climbed 75 cents to $36.50 while trading 38,114 shares, Radio Jamaica rose 32 cents to end at $3.07, with 435,979 units changing hands, Sagicor Group popped 69 cents to $57.49 after 35,078 stock units crossed the market. Seprod jumped $4.08 to end at $62.09 while exchanging 35,510 stocks, Supreme Ventures lost $1.50 to end at $27.50 in exchanging 700,929 units, Sygnus Credit Investments rallied 91 cents to close at $16.48 in trading 116,481 stocks and Wisynco Group shed $1.50 to close at $23 in switching ownership of 144,718 stock units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share lost 80 cents in closing at $7 after an exchange of 552 shares, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% gained $397.50 while ending at $3047.50 after exchanging 44 stock units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% Preference share declined $18 in closing at $102 while trading 2,877,625 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.