Trading closed with a heavy bias to declining stocks that dominated advancing ones 5 to 2 on the Main Market of Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, leading the market indices down after two previous days of gains.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index lost 3,170.34 points to 426,725.56, the Main Index shed 2,802.34 points to 389,432.91 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.79 points to settle at 101.51.
Trading ended with 43 securities changing hands similar to Friday and closed with the prices of eight stocks rising, 20 declining and 15 remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ends at 16.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 68 percent fewer shares than Friday with 7,084,366 units trading for $48,587,272, down from 22,148,337 units at $106,842,072 on Friday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 20.1 percent of total volume, after exchanging 1.43 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 16.2 percent for 1.15 million units and Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 12.5 percent for 888,116 shares.
Trading for the day averaged 164,753 units at $1,129,937 for each security, compared to an average of 515,078 shares at $2,484,699 on Friday. Month to date trade averaged 315,550 units at $3,916,179, compared to 331,966 units at $4,219,492 on Friday. November averaged 623,120 units at $6,686,047.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments lost 51 cents to close at $85, after trading 154,850 shares, Berger Paints dropped 60 cents to $13.40, with just 55 units changing hands. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund lost 50 cents after transferring 14,465 stock units at $43, First Rock Capital rose 89 cents to $12.99, with the switching of 22,292 stock units, Grace Kennedy climbed $1.49 to $66.49, in trading 9,982 units. Jamaica Broilers Group gained 39 cents to settle at $28.32, after an exchange of 61,415 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $18.76, after gaining 48 cents in exchanging 17,599 units, Key Insurance rose 50 cents to $8.60, as investors switched ownership of 233,856 shares.
Kingston Wharves fell $1.35 to $145.01, with 16,798 units crossing the exchange, 138 Student Living gained 43 cents to settle at $4.75, in exchanging 26,196 stock units, Palace Amusement dropped $200 to $1,100, in transferring 8 units. Pan Jam Investment dropped $4 to close at $62 after 5,631 units crossed the exchange, Pulse Investments shed 37 cents to $4.36 in trading 422,959 shares, Scotia Group fell $1.50 to $45 in an exchange of 25,605 stock units and Wisynco Group shed 33 cents to end at $16.10, with 78.736 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
