JSE main market turns north

The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market closed higher on Friday, following days of declines earlier in the week as investors pushed prices down for five days ahead moving the majority upon the final trading day of August.
The market ended, with 42 securities trading in the main and US dollar markets, leading to 17 securities advancing, 13 declining and 6 trading firm, compared to 38 securities trading on Thursday.
The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 3,806.39 points to close at 571,532.50, the JSE Index advanced by 3,491.26 points to 520,410.28 but the JSE Financial Index lost 0.25 points to end at 140.70. The main market ended up with a strong 37 percent for the year to date and the JSE Financial Index pushed 40.7 percent higher since it started in March.
Radio Jamaica traded at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.58 but pulled back to close at $2.07 at the end of the day to be up 144 percent for the year to date and the second best-performing stock on the main market after Jamaica Stock Exchange 175 percent year to date gain.
Market activity ended with 24,252,652 units valued at $191,230,760, in contrast to 26,941,759 units valued at $106,274,247 crossing the main market on Thursday.
Sagicor Select Fund was the leading traded stock with 13.44 million shares accounting for 55.4 percent of total volume, Wigton Windfarm followed with 3.6 million units accounting for 15 percent of the day’s trade and Radio Jamaica with 3.1 million shares for 13 percent of the main market’s volume.
Trading closed with an average 638,228 units valued $5,032,388 for each security traded, in contrast to 748,382 units for an average of $2,952,062 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 1,743,431 units valued at $9,907,963 and previously, 1,802,087 units valued at $10,180,422 for each security traded. July closed with an average of 1,297,718 shares at $17,985,644 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 8  stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
In the main market activity, Berger Paints fell 77 cents in trading of 3,099 units at $18.23, Caribbean Cement lost $5.05 trading 7,375 shares to close at $83, Jamaica Broilers gained $1.5 to end at $36.50, trading 31,274 shares. JMMB Group decline 20 cents in trading of 1,720,151 units at $50.50, Jamaica Producers lost 50 cents in trading of 177 units at $27.50, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost $3.96 trading 118,908 units to close at $25, Kingston Wharves gained $2.50 to end at $65, in trading 400 shares. NCB Financial ended with a loss of $1 to end at 210 with 135,434 stock units changing hand, PanJam Investment climbed 96 cents in exchanging 5,141 shares at $102.99, Portland JSX climbed 50 cents in swapping 10,000 shares at $8, Proven Investments fell $2.49 trading 3,420 units to close at $37.50. Pulse Investments lost 34 cents to settle at $3.25 while trading 49,885 shares, Radio Jamaica dipped 31 cents in trading of 3,108,588 units to end at $2.07 after trading at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.58, Sagicor Group close with a loss of $2 to sit at $71 in swapping of 66,216 shares. Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended trading with 208,900 shares, after rising 45 cents to end at $ 11.25, Seprod gained $4 to end at $56 with 10,970 stock units changing hands, Scotia Group gained $2.51 to end at $57.50 with 282,997 stock units trading. Supreme Ventures closed trading of 10,229 units and gained 80 cents to end at $26. Victoria Mutual closed with a loss of 31 cents at $7.99 trading 725,900 units at $7.99 and Wisynco Group climbed $1.15 with 291,598 shares changing hands, to settle at $24.
Trading in the US securities market resulted in 164,058 units valued $20,560 changing hands with EPPLEY 5% preference share traded 1,000 units at 98 US cents, JMMB Group 5.75% with 3,200 units at JMMB Group 6% preference share rose 1 cent with 300 units to close at US$1.01, Proven Investments concluded trading of 123,418 shares and settled at 26 US cents, Sterling Investments with 21,657 units 0.221 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments traded 141,289 shares with a rise of 1.5 cents to 13.5 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index advanced 0.47 points to close at 190.72.