JSE retreated again on Wednesday

Investors pushed the Jamaica stock market down sharply again on Wednesday as a wide cross section of the market showed weakness with declining stocks beating advancing ones by a good margin. Stock prices were widely down with 19 securities declining and the prices of 10 securities gaining as 45 changed hands in all market segments. Trading resulted in the while three stocks closed at 52 weeks’ highs.
A total of 2,801,152 units valued at $45,600,266 changed hands in all markets. The junior market accounted for 876,572 units changing hands, valued at $3,718,863.
The JSE Market Index dived 934.62 points to 158,236.44 the all Jamaica Composite Index dropped 1,044.48 points to end at 175,794.45 and the JSE combined index dipped by 1,117.25 points to close at 169,553.18.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading was 15 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
At the end of the market activities, Berger Paints fell 30 cents to end at $4.50, with 37,301 units traded, Cable and Wireless close with 178,301 units changing hands at $1.60, Caribbean Cement jumped $3.40 to close at $30 with 83,508 shares changing hands. Carreras gained of 70 cents to close at $65.70, to end at a 52 weeks’ high while trading 245,117 units, Desnoes & Geddes traded 76,000 shares but lost 2 cents to $22.85, Grace Kennedy ended with 3,269 share trading to close at $83, Jamaica Broilers had 72,174 shares trading with a rise of 50 cents to end at $14. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with 3,000 shares trading but lost 50 cents to close at $22, JMMB Group dropped 75 cents in trading 94,905 units at $11.25, Kingston Wharves had 38,100 shares trading at $11.40, Mayberry Investments traded 26,020 units to close at $4.50. National Commercial Bank traded 183,199 shares to close at $40 after rising by $1.50, while 138 Students Living traded 354,615 shares with a rise of 20 cent to end at $5.70, Pan Jamaican Investment traded only 334 units with a rise of $1.45 to end at $96. Scotia Group had 173,359 shares changing hands to close with a fall of $1.99 to end at $32.01, Scotia Investments had 6,000 units changing hands at $30 after jumping $3.45. Seprod closed at $22, with 33,153 shares trading, Supreme Ventures rose 10 cents to close at $6 with 138,588 units changing hands and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 66,900 at $2.15.