JSE Main Market pulls back

The Jamaica Stock Exchange shed some of the gains accumulated over the past four days as the value of stocks trading rose well over Tuesday’s levels, but with lower volume.
All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 1,388.73 points to close at 536,548.26, at the close on Wednesday, the JSE Market Index dropped 1,256.86 points to 488,451.55 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.29 points to 132.56.
The market closed with 45 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with the prices of 12 advancing, 18 declining and 15 trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 42 securities accounting for 13,058,687 units valued at $207,850,962 in contrast to 17,938,463 units valued at $135,316,853 from 42 securities on Tuesday.
Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 4.1 million shares, and accounting for 31.5 percent of total volume, Wigton Windfarm followed with 2.45 million units for 18.8 percent of the day’s trade and QWI Investments with 1.8 million shares accounted for 14 percent of market share.
The Market closed with an average of 424,688 units valued at $5,069,536 for each security traded, in contrast to 427,106 units valued at an average of $3,221,830 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 633,300 units for $2,795,851 for each security changing hands compared to 649,717 units at $2,601,640 for each security traded. Trading in January resulted in an average of 626,134 units valued at $3,511,981 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one closing with a lower offer. The PE ratio of the market ended at 20.5, while the Main Market ended at 19.8 times 2019 earnings.
In the prime market, Eppley added $1.30 to settle at $16.30 in trading 1,304 units, Grace Kennedy rose $1.38 to $69, with 3,825 shares changing hands, JMMB Group closed 79 cents lower to $45.40, after transferring 119,466 shares, Kingston Wharves dropped $4.99 to close at $55.01, in swapping 15,569 units. 138 Student Living added $1.28 to close at 52 weeks’ high of $6.66, with an exchange of 52,425 shares. PanJam Investment closed at $100.94, with gains of $1.74 trading 559,598 shares, Proven Investments lost 58 cents to end at $47.50, in transferring 4,456 units, Pulse Investments closed $1.15 higher to a 52 weeks’ closing high of $11, after swapping 134,751 shares. Salada Foods declined by $4.47 to $27.53 trading only 700 units, Scotia Group ended at $53.11, with a loss of 89 cents after transferring 771,557 shares. Seprod lost $1 and closed at $50, with 543,758 shares changing hands, Sygnus Credit Investments shed $1.21 to settle at $24.70, in swapping 34,376 shares and Wisynco Group lost 30 cents exchanging 123,760 shares at $22.50.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 231,872 units valued at over US$205,111. The market index gained 0.14 points to close at 230.65. JMMB Group 5.75% preference share lost 10 cents trading 89,732 to end at US$2, Proven Investments transferred 27,032 units at 31 US cents, Sterling Investments traded 8,517 shares at 2.7 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments exchanged 106,591 units at 16 US cents.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.