JSE majors drop 6,300 points this week

The Main Market indices on the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended the week on Friday, with another round of losses with the market closing down on Friday at the end of a volatile week.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 2,369.39 points to close at 546,364.42, with a drop of 6,296 points for the week. The JSE Market Index declined 2,098.74 points to 497,578.98, leading to a decline of 5,758 points for the week and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.81 points to 135.51.
The market closed with 50 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with the prices of 18 advancing, 20 declining and 12 trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 43 securities accounting 18,625,847 units valued at $90,035,262 in contrast to 28,467,668 units valued at $102,258,217 from 42 securities on Thursday. JMMB Group 7.25% preference share closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.45.
Wigton Windfarm dominated trading with 6.5 million shares for 35 percent of total volume, followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 5 million units for 27 percent of the day’s trade and QWI Investments with 2.2 million shares for 12 percent of the market’s volume. The only other stock trading more than one million shares was Sagicor Select Fund – Manufacturing and Distribution, with 1.2 million units.
The Market closed with an average of 433,159 units valued at an average of $2,093,843 for each security traded, in contrast to 662,039 units valued at an average of $2,378,098 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 537,214 units valued at $2,21,990 for each security changing hands, compared to 546,633 units valued at $2,234,657 for each security traded. Trading in December resulted in an average of 595,143 units valued at $9,344,514 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 19.7, while the Main Market ended at 18.8 times the 2019 earnings.
In the prime market, Barita Investments closed 50 cents lower to $72.50, with an exchange of 175,838 units, Berger Paints gained 85 cents to end at $17.85, with 3,139 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement dropped $2.45, settling at $71 in trading 4,824 shares. Eppley closed 60 cents higher at $15, after transferring 3,675 units, Grace Kennedy slipped $1 to close at $77, in swapping 107,380 shares, Jamaica Broilers closed $2.90 higher to $39 after exchanging 2,050 shares. Jamaica Producers Group gained $2.47 to end at $27 trading 200 units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy advanced $16 to $231, with 100 units changing hands, NCB Financial Group lost $3 in transferring 72,880 shares to close at $190, after trading as low as $175.01, 138 Student Living lost 42 cents to settle at $3.80, in swapping 93,977 shares. PanJam Investment ended at $101, with a gain of 45 cents trading 1,772 shares, Proven Investments declined $1.95 to $48, after 19,016 units changed hands, Pulse Investments closed at $6.50, with a loss of 59 cents in transferring 235,665 shares. Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost 84 cents in swapping 22,301 shares, and ending at $9.05, Scotia Group added $1 to close at $56, with 145,825 shares changing hands, Seprod gained $1.99 and ended at $49.99, after trading 117,955 shares. Supreme Ventures gained $1 to end at 24.00 with 12,840 stock units trading, Sygnus Credit Investments slid to $26.50, after losing 50 cents and transferring 25,616 shares and Wisynco Group dropped $1.25 to end the day’s trade at $22, in swapping 134,384 shares.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 316,904 units valued at over US$112,316. The market index advanced 12.02 points to close at 247.53. Margaritaville lost 1 US cent in an exchange of 125 units at 34 US cents, Proven Investments gained 2 US cents to close at 34 US cents, after exchanging 311,898 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments traded 1,625 units at 18 US cents, Sterling Investments closed at 3 US cents with 918 units changing hands,
In the preference section of the US dollar market, JMMB Group 5.75% swapped 1,030 units, gaining 2 US cents to end at US$1.52, JMMB Group 6% settled at US$1.05, after rising 5 US cents trading 866 shares and JMMB Group 5.75% lost 30 US cents to settle at US$1.72, after an exchange of 442 units.