Main Market rally but falling stocks dominate

Stocks rose following an increase in the level of trading activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Monday, leading to trading in 61 securities compared with 58 on Friday, with the prices of just stocks 14 rising, 31 declining and 16 ending unchanged with the volume of stocks traded rising 42 percent and the value 71 percent more than on Friday with the prices of three stocks closing at 52 weeks’ low and one trading at an intraday 52 weeks’ low.
Trading picked up with 10,928,473 shares being traded for $91,325,752 compared with 7,673,086 units at $53,319,630 on Friday.
Trading averaged 179,155 shares at $1,497,143 versus 132,295 units at $919,304 on Friday and month to date, an average of 474,443 units at $2,177,053 compared to 519,362 stocks at $2,280,480 on the previous trading day. Trading in July closed with an average of 283,368 units at $2,135,482.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 3.15 million shares for 28.9 percent of the volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm, with 2.24 million units for 20.5 percent of the day’s trade and QWI Investments ended with 1.19 million units for 10.9 percent of trading.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 822.60 points to close at 354,449.13, the JSE Main Index gained 1,017.76 points to close at 322,251.93 and the JSE Financial Index advanced 0.35 points to finish at 70.82.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.1 for the Main Market. The Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending up to August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 13 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments dropped 68 cents to close at $74.30, with 158,792 shares passing through the market, Caribbean Cement fell $1.63 and ended at $50.12 after it closed with an exchange of 70,834 stocks, Eppley gained 99 cents to end trading of 3 units at $35.99. GraceKennedy dipped $1 to end at $76.50, with 327,657 stock units crossing the market, Guardian Holdings rallied $19.75 in closing at $439.75 with investors transferring just 9 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange fell 5 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $9.95 in trading 33,985 shares, JMMB Group shed 49 cents in closing at $27.51 in switching ownership of 14,491 stocks. Massy Holdings declined $1.80 and ended at $101.20 with an exchange of 1,084 shares, Pan Jamaica lost $1.49 to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $45.01 after an exchange of 374,708 units, Pulse Investments rose 25 cents to close at $2.50, but only after hitting an intraday 52 weeks’ low of $2 with an exchange of 927,882 shares, Portland JSX dipped $1.29 to $9.50, with 20,001 shares changing hand., Radio Jamaica fell to 7 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $148 and traded 527,202 shares, following release of first quarter results showing flat revenues and a modest decline in its loss for the June quarter. Seprod lost 70 cents to close at $69.30 with 2,789 stock units clearing the market and Stanley Motta dropped 34 cents and ended at $4.51 after 9,489 stocks crossed the market.
In the preference segment, Eppley 5% preference share advanced $1.03 to $22 in an exchange of 677 units, Jamaica Public Service 7% shed $2 in closing at $50 in trading 1,993 shares and 138 Student Living preference share climbed $6.50 to end at $99.98 with shareholders swapping a mere one stock unit.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.