Scotia Group caused major swing in the JSE index on Wednesday & Thursday.
The recorded closing price for Scotia Group in yesterdays’ trading was $34.23 according to the Jamaica Stock exchange rules, but the stock last traded at $30.10. The stock exchange indices are based on the weighted average price making Scotia Group the main mover to push up the market index sharply on Wednesday based on the JSE recognized closing price.
In today’s trading, the stock last traded at $34.99 but the official closing price is $31.87, the end, the market index dropped sharply, resulting in major swings in the market, despite the JSE’s attempt to use the weighted averages to set the final closing price for a day, in an effort to cut closing price manipulation and its impact on the indices.
There were relatively large trades in excess of 2 million units, in National Commercial Bank, Sagicor Group and Supreme Ventures. The high number of stocks participating in trading on the exchange continued on Thursday with 44 active securities in all market segments. At the close 24 securities in the combined markets gained and 9 declined. Four stocks closed at 52 weeks’ highs and 3 at intraday highs as 20,376,982 units valued at $295,286,830 changed hands in all markets, with the junior market accounting for 2,815,123 units changed hands, valued at $15,357,167.
The JSE Market Index dropped 3,221.67 points to 157,625.77, the all Jamaica Composite Index made a sharp downturn with 3,600.40 points to end at 175,111.99 and the JSE combined index dived by 3,710.78 points to close at 169,229.05.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reached an elevated level indicating several rising prices ahead with reading of 19 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and only 3 with lower offers.
In trading, Barita Investments traded 10,000 shares and gained 10 cents to close at $3.90, Cable and Wireless ended with 113,157 units changing hands to close with a gain of 4 cents t0 $1.44, Caribbean Cement had wild price swings during trading, with the stock trading at an intraday high of $27.75 and as low as $20.50. The price fell $3.10 to $22, with 87,713 shares trading. At the close there were 2,203,900 units offered for sale at $28. Carreras rose 5 cents to end at $60.05 with 34,895 units changing hands, Gleaner Company traded 145,708 shares to close at with a loss of 30 cents at $2.40, Grace Kennedy fell to $80.21, with a fall of $3.79, as 114,095 units changed hands. Jamaica Broilers jumped $1.51 to close at $13.01 with 317,655 shares changing hands, for a new 52 weeks’ high. Jamaica Producers had 5,000 shares trading as the price moved up by 60 cents to $32.20, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $19 while trading 900 shares, at the close the bid was at $19.50 for only 340 units, JMMB Group traded 94,158 units to end with a loss of 5 cents at $11.95. Kingston Wharves traded 80,823 units but lost 5 cents to close at $11.15, Mayberry Investments traded just 2,540 shares and lost 8 cents to end at $4.72,
National Commercial Bank ended with a gain of 1 cent at $41.50 with 2,096,961 units changing hands, Pan Jamaican Investments fell $1.85 to close at $94.15 with 5,247 shares trading. Radio Jamaica traded 21,940 shares but closed $5.60. Sagicor Group fell 5 cents to close at $23.45 with 5,208,162 units changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 83,740 shares to end at $11, Scotia Group gained $4.89 with 55,940 shares changing hands at $34.99, Scotia Investments dropped $3.10 to close at $26.80 after 49,315 units traded, Supreme Ventures gained 4 cents to end at $4.70 with a high volume of 8,564,688 units changing hands and Jamaica Money Market Brokers 7.50% preference share traded 50,500 units at $2.
