JSE major indices drop – Thursday

The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market pulled back sharply at the close of trading on Thursday, with the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index diving 3,426.77 points to 478,965.35 and the JSE Index dropping 3,114.03 points to 436,242.73.
At the close market activity, on the main and US markets, the prices of 12 securities advanced, 8 declined and 9 traded firm, as a total of 29 securities traded, compared to 37 on Wednesday. Market activity ended with 39,807,927 units valued $250,698,516, in contrast to 43,724,306 units valued at over $310,353,690 on Wednesday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 34.7 million units or 87 percent of total main market volume, Sagicor Group closed with 2.35 million shares changing hands equating to 6 percent of total trades, followed by Scotia Group with 1.2 million stock units and 3 percent of the day’s trades.
The market closed with average of 1,531,074 units valued $9,642,251, in contrast to 1,286,009 shares valued at $9,128,050 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 1,268,507 shares, with a value of $10,702,650, compared to 1,246,050 shares, with a value of $10,804,762 previously. May closed with an average of 2,248,261 units at an average of $12,751,529 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 9 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 3 closing with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Berger Paints gained 50 cents to close at $18.50, trading 5,000 stock units, Caribbean Cement put on 90 cents to close at $79.90, with an exchange of 1,456 shares, Grace Kennedy regained the 29 cents it lost on Wednesday while trading 13,691 stock units to end at $61.50. Jamaica Broilers finished trading of 159,727 units with a fall of 25 cents to end at $33.50.,Jamaica Producers traded 2,200 shares and lost 37 cents to close at $26.50, JMMB Group gained 60 cents trading 44,117 shares at $39.60, Kingston Wharves dived $2.99 to close at $65.01, trading 8,050 stock units. Mayberry Investments fell 49 cents, ending trading 44,427 shares at $8.50, Mayberry Jamaica Equities rose 31 cents to end at $11.31, with 287,077 shares changing hands, NCB Financial Group fell 99 cents trading 146,914 shares to end at $173, PanJam Investment climbed $1.40 to conclude trading of 19,254 shares at $93.40. Scotia Group dropped $2.50 to close at $50, with an exchange of 1,190,960 shares, Seprod lost 30 cents to end at $48, in trading 32,742 shares, and Supreme Ventures rose 30 cents to settle at $29.80, trading 57,706 shares.
rading in the US securities market resulted in 35,630 units valued at over US$17,723 changing hands. Market activity ended with JMMB Group 6% preference share trading 10,000 units at $1.04 US cents, and JMMB Group 5.5% preference share finished at $2 trading 2,500 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments traded 23,130 units to end at 10 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index rose 0.84 points to close at 190.03.