JSE Main Market rallies into the weekend

The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended on Friday, with the market index falling below the close of the previous week but recorded gains over the last two days with the volume of stocks traded declining 53 percent, with the value 24 percent more than on Thursday, as 54 securities were traded compared to 51 on Thursday, with 27 rising, 13 declining and 14 ending unchanged.
A total of 9,481,950 shares were traded for $117,605,489 versus 20,316,713 units at $95,105,433 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 175,592 shares at $2,177,879, versus 398,367 shares at $1,864,812 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 235,131 units at $1,168,440, compared with 239,845 units at $1,088,514 on the previous day. March closed with an average of 356,137 units at $3,015,416.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 2.77 million shares for 29.2 percent of total volume.  JMMB Group 7.5%, followed with 2.17 million units for 22.9 percent of the day’s trade and Jamaica Broilers with 2.03 million units for 21.4 percent of market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 1,723.12 points to conclude trading at 374,094.82, the JSE Main Index rose 275.40 points to 331,860.65 and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.34 points to 76.58.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.7 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on the last sale prices of stocks and earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments declined 50 cents to $77.50, with 613 shares passing through the market, Eppley climbed 64 cents after ending at $37.29 in an exchange of 137 stock units, Guardian Holdings increased $1 to close at $476 in switching ownership of 742 stocks, Jamaica Broilers dropped 52 cents in closing at $35.95, with 2,026,628 units crossing the market, JMMB Group shed 48 cents to to end at $31 while exchanging 10,464 units, Kingston Wharves popped 74 cents after ending at $32.85 with 1,031 stock units crossing the exchange, Massy Holdings lost $2.75 to close at $85.25, with 214,948 shares clearing the market, Pan Jamaica Group advanced $3.79 to end at $56.79 with investors trading 2,692 stocks, Proven Investments gained 66 cents in closing at $26.50 after an exchange of 1,150 shares, Seprod fell $1 to $69 in swapping 4,703 stocks, Supreme Ventures rallied 89 cents to end at $27.89 with investors transferring 50,497 units and Sygnus Real Estate Finance rose 70 cents in closing at $10 with an exchange of 2,000 stock units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% gained $3.35 after ending at $39 as investors exchanged 1,000 shares and Jamaica Public Service 9.5% dipped $150 to close at $2850 in trading 15 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.