JSE Main Market rallies, down in August

Stocks rallied into month end as rising stocks exceeded decliners, greater than two to one at the end of market activity on Tuesday, but closed out August more than 3,600 points below the July close, with the volume of shares trading on Tuesday rising 82 percent and the value inched 11 percent higher than Monday, on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.  
The All Jamaican Composite Index spiked 2,773.29 points to 459,842.64, the JSE Main Index climbed 2,670.20 points to 417,864.90 and the JSE Financial Index popped 0.59 points to close trading at 101.46.
Market participation remained elevated with 50 securities traded compared to 51 on Monday, leading to a rise of 28 stocks, 11 declining and 11 closing unchanged. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 16.3 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
The market closed with 17,371,190 shares trading for $150,660,788 versus 15,594,454 units at $851,732,015 on Monday. Radio Jamaica led trading with 48.2 percent after exchanging 8.37 million shares, followed by Wigton Windfarm 13.3 percent, with 2.31 million units and Sagicor Group 6.8 percent with 1.18 million shares.
Trading averages 347,424 units at $3,013,216, versus 305,774 shares at $16,700,628 on Monday and month to date, an average of 480,039 units at $8,561,190,compared to 487,063 units at $8,855,045 on Monday. July closed with an average of 322,932 units at $15,201,099.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 17 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement dropped $4 to $106 exchanging 11,162 shares, Caribbean Producers slipped 35 cents to $4.35 after trading 38,382 stock units, Eppley popped $2.35 to $41.35, with 2,083 shares changing hands, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund surged $8.44 to $46.75 in switching ownership of 125,066 units, First Rock Capital gained $1.35 to end at $13.75 in swapping of 4,396 shares. GraceKennedy fell $2 to $102, with 65,411 stocks changing hands, Guardian Holdings spiked $9 to $590 in trading 1,338 units, Jamaica Broilers popped $1.05 to $34.45 exchanging 62,613 stock units. Jamaica Producers advanced 50 cents to $24.50 in trading 19,496 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange jumped 85 cents to $18, with an exchange of 93,267 shares, JMMB Group lost 70 cents in closing at $38 after 141,511 stock units crossed the market. Kingston Wharves climbed $2.25 to $48.75, with 878 units changing hands, Mayberry Investments shed 39 cents to $5.75 in switching ownership of 11,020 shares. Mayberry Jamaican Equities increased 30 cents to $9.30 while exchanging 1,960 stocks, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dived $10.50 to $125.50 after trading 40 stock units, NCB Financial Group advanced 99 cents to $132.99 with an exchange of 7,642 shares. PanJam Investment popped $2 to end at $64, with 4,216 stock units clearing the market, Pulse Investments rallied 26 cents to close at $3.60 after exchanging 435,638 units. Radio Jamaica dived 70 cents to $3.50 after exchanging 8,366,194 stock units, Sagicor Group rose $1.10 to end at $58 in trading 1,176,211 units, Scotia Group rallied 70 cents in closing at $39.50, with 4,106 stock units crossing the market. Seprod rose 79 cents to $64.79 in exchanging 2,978 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments popped 65 cents to $17 with the swapping of 203,098 units.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7.25% rallied 19 cents to $1.30 after trading 426,970 stock units and JMMB Group 7.35% – 2028 climbed 17 cents in closing at $3.20 while exchanging 237,799 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.