JSE Main Market index slips

Rising prices outnumbered declining ones by a solid margin, but the Main Market Index of the Jamaica Stock Exchange stocks slipped modestly on Thursday as the value of stocks trading remained close to Wednesday’s level.
At the close, JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 432.39 points to end at 552,352.79, the JSE Market Index lost 388.56 points to close at 502,923.21 and the JSE Financial Index fell 0.40 points to close at 135.87.
The market closed with 37 securities changing hands in the main and US dollar markets with 17 advancing, 11 declining and the prices of 9 stocks closed unchanged. JSE Main Market activity ended with 35 securities accounting for 9,942,249 units valued $213,225,571, in contrast to 26,501,648 units at $237,434,671 on Wednesday, from 37 securities.
JMMB Group dominated trading with 3.05 million shares for 31 percent of the day’s trade followed by Wigton Windfarm with 2.6 million shares and 26 percent of volumes traded and Sagicor Select Funds – Financials sector with 2.44 million shares for 25 percent market share. In the US dollar market, Proven Investments exchanged 5.3 million units.
The market closed with an average of 284,064 units valued at $6,092,159 for each security traded, in contrast to 716,261 units for $6,417,153 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 351,921 units for $5,507,716 and previously, an average of 359,075 units valued at $5,438,139 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 traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 12 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none closed with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 19.1, with the JSE Main Market ending at 18.8 times the current year’s earnings.
In the premier market, Barita Investments climbed $1.10 to settle at $71.10, with an exchange of 9,600 shares, Caribbean Cement recovered 50 cents to end at $76.50, with 926 units changing hands, Grace Kennedy gained $3 to close at $68, after transferring 8,258 shares. Jamaica Broilers added $1.90 to end at $40, with 30,053 shares crossing the exchange, Jamaica Producers traded 116,014 stock units and rose 79 cents to end at $24.79, JMMB Group gained $1 to end at $48 with 2,873,695 hares trading. Kingston Wharves gained $2 to settle at $63, in trading 6,924 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose 95 cents to end at $12.95, with 1,826 units changing hands, NCB Financial Group gained $1 to close at $200, in swapping 183,314 shares. PanJam Investment fell $2.50 to close at $99.50, in trading 44,917 shares. Proven Investments rose $2.55 to settle at $47, in trading 330 units, Pulse Investments fell 55 cents to $4.30, with 19,000 stock units changing hands, Scotia Group dropped $2 to settle at $55.50, in transferring 62,328 shares. Seprod gained 50 cents in trading 3,213 stocks to close at $50.50, Supreme lost 99 cents to close at $25.50 with 15,300 units crossing the market and Sygnus Credit Investments rose $1 to $22 while exchanging 20,111 shares.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 5,376,091 units valued at US$1,681,059 with the market index adding 1.14 points to close at 213.91. Proven Investments traded 5,305,158 shares to close with a gain of1.5 cents at 31.5 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments exchanged 70,993 shares at 14 US cents.