The Jamaica Stock Exchange closed with the second worse one-day fall in the market’s history and ended with, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index plunged 22,129.54 points to 434,832.42, the JSE Market nose-dived 20,034.15 points to 396,228.13 and the JSE Financial Index fell 7.46 points to 106.81.
The market closed with 41 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets after six stocks traded at 52 weeks’ lows. At the close prices of 8 stocks rose, 29 declined and 4 traded firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 35 securities accounting 19,892,130 units valued at $229,454,953 in contrast to 34,017,777 units valued at $260,298,044 from 43 securities on Friday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 8.9 million shares for 45 percent of total volume, followed by Wisynco Group with 4.6 million shares for 23 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.9 million shares for 9.6 percent market share. QWI Investments, with 1.3 million shares, was the only other stock trading more than one million units.
The Market closed with an average of 568,347 units valued at $6,555,856 for each security traded, in contrast to 791,111 units at an average of $6,053,443 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 759,584 units valued at $5,035,556 for each security changing hands compared to 774,392 units valued at $4,906,404 for each security traded. Trading in February resulted in an average of 624,731 units valued at $3,239,665 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows eleven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 15.7, while the Main Market ended at 14.8 times the 2019 earnings.
In the prime market, Barita Investments declined by $2.02 to $54.50 after trading 90,979 shares, Berger Paints closed $2 lower at $12, in transferring 1,929 units, Caribbean Cement dropped $4 swapping 67,350 shares to end at $50. First Rock gained 98 cents to settle at $11, with 32,954 stock units changing hands, Grace Kennedy slid to a 52 weeks’ low of $55.60, with a loss of $4.30 exchanging 70,534 shares, Jamaica Broilers lost $4 to finish at $27, after trading 9,508 units. Jamaica Producers closed $2 lower at a 52 weeks’ low of $18, in transferring 22,534 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange gained $2 to finish at $23.50, in trading 41,437 shares, JMMB Group shed $1 to end at $37, in swapping 102,419 shares. Kingston Wharves lost 50 cents exchanging 16,336 units and closed at $45, Mayberry Jamaican Equities fell 47 cents to a 52 weeks’ low of $7.94, with 42,615 shares changing hands, NCB Financial shed $3 to close at $165, in transferring 616,360 shares. 138 Student Living ended at $6.70, with gains of 70 cents trading 300 units, PanJam Investment jumped $10 to $95, after exchanging 9,003 shares, but closed with the offer down at $86.79, Proven Investments closed 99 cents higher to $40.99, in swapping 3,291 units. 
Pulse Investments gained 45 cents to finish at a record close of $3.35 in trading 424,119 stock units, Sagicor Group tumbled $10 to $43.01, in transferring 59,515 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed 50 cents lower at a 52 weeks’ low of $6.50, with 2,300 stock units changing hands. Sygnus Credit Investments lost 49 cents to end at $18, in swapping 30,024 shares, Victoria Mutual Investments closed at $7.06, with a loss of 63 cents after trading 171,283 units and Wisynco Group declined to $17, after falling $1 with 4,600,987 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 159,738 units valued at over US$25,035. The market lost 0.38 points to close at 210.48. First Rock lost 1 cent trading 7,841 units to end at 9 US cents, Margaritaville lost 9 cents to close at 20 US cents, in exchanging 3,316 units, Proven Investments transferred 21,441 units at 28 US cents. Sterling Investments gained 0.3 of a cent after trading 4,335 shares to finish at 2.40 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments shed 1cent to end at 14 US cents, with 122,705 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading for the day are those at which the last trade took place.
