Main market closes higher – Friday

Trading on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Friday with JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbing 1,739.73 points to 424,572.25 and the JSE Index advancing by 1,580.91 points to 386,815.40.
At the close of the main and US markets, 30 securities traded, compared to 33 on Thursday and leading to 14 advancing, 6 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
Trading ended with 1,601,348 units valued $55,418,482 crossing the exchange, compared to 12,017,340 units valued $109,444,077 changing hands on Thursday.
Scotia Group led trading with 508,817 shares, comprising 31.8 percent of total main market volume, followed by Carreras with 268,294 stock units or 16.75 percent of the day’s trades and Wisynco Group with 240,423 units or 15 percent.
Market activity ended with an average of 59,309 units valued at over $2,052,536, in contrast to 375,542 shares valued at $3,420,127 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 289,643 shares at $3,590,315 for each security, compared to 341,904 units valued at $3,094,443 previously. Trading for March resulted in an average of 438,501 shares at $9,851,307, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with the reading showing 9 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 closing with lower offers.
In main market activity, Berger Paints gained 40 cents and ended at $20.50, with 14,695 stock units changing hands, Carreras concluded trading with 268,294 units but lost 44 cents to close at $9.05, Jamaica Stock Exchange gained $1 to end at $17, with an exchange of 15,664 shares. Kingston Wharves recovered the $4 it lost on Thursday, to settle at $72, trading 2,700 units, Mayberry Investments  fell $1 in trading 5,000 shares, at $8,  Mayberry Jamaican Equities loaded 62 cents and ended trading of 9,296 shares at $9.70, NCB Financial Group  traded 36,941 shares, losing 50 cents to close at $144.50.  Scotia Group  climbed $1.80 trading 508,817 shares at $52,  Stanley Motta lost 81 cents to end at $4.50, trading 9,000 shares and Wisynco Group rose 54 cents, ending trading of 240,423 shares at $11.95.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 741,956 units valued at over US$96,943. JMMB Group 5.75% preference share traded 1,000 units with a 4 US cents gain to close at US$2.04Proven Investments ended with 160,056 units trading at 23 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments traded 580,900 units to end at 10 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index declined 0.15 points to close at 179.23.