Main Market stocks push market down

Stocks dropped on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday and resulted in market indices plunging at the close of the market with the volume of stocks traded remaining subdued with 30 percent less volume passing through the market compared to Tuesday as funds entering the market remained steady.
Trading ended with 57 securities compared to 55 on Tuesday, with 21 rising, 24 declining and 12 ending unchanged. At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index shed 3,397.23 points to 416,853.91, the JSE Main Index dropped 1,624.03 points to close at 367,199.58 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.27 points to settle at 87.90.
Overall, 6,419,042 shares were exchanged for $56,245,124 compared to 9,160,573 units at $56,371,792 on Tuesday. Trading averages 112,615 units at $986,757, compared to 166,556 shares at $1,024,942 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 195,870 units at $1,341,170, compared to 210,121 units at $1,401,836 on the previous trading day. July closed with an average of 173,643 units at $1,683,017.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 1.50 million shares for 23.4 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 1.15 million units for 17.9 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 783,984 units for 12.2 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 13.7 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on ICInsider.com’s forecasted earnings for companies with financial years ending up to the close of August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints lost 44 cents ending at $11.40 after exchanging 7,203 shares, Caribbean Cement slipped 29 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of 58.70 after an exchange of 23,078 shares, Caribbean Producers dropped 49 cents to end at $13.50 while trading 82,997 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund declined $2.10 in closing at $42.90, with 2,811 stocks crossing the market. GraceKennedy gained $2.50 to end at $98.50, with 89,742 units changing hands, Guardian Holdings climbed $73.15 to close at $583.15 after trading 121 stock units, Jamaica Broilers rose 89 cents to $29.09 after exchanging 7,865 stocks. Jamaica Producers fell 44 cents in closing at $20.11, with an exchange of 66,000 shares,  Massy Holdings increased $1.85 in ending at $89, with 8,721 units crossing the exchange, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rallied 65 cents to close at $14.15 in trading 106,342 stock units. NCB Financial advanced $4.75 to end at $96.75 with an exchange of 42,593 shares, Palace Amusement shed $46 after ending at $790 in switching ownership of 17 stocks, PanJam Investment shed $1.77 in closing at $59.90 in an exchange of 2,980 units. Scotia Group popped $1.40 to end at $36.39 with the swapping of 1,317 stock units, Stanley Motta dropped 50 cents to $5, with 5,048 stocks crossing the market, Supreme Ventures declined 70 cents to close at $28.60 in exchanging 294,794 shares. Sygnus Real Estate Finance popped 41 cents in closing at $10.21, with 1,615 units clearing the market and Victoria Mutual Investments advanced 65 cents to close at $5.68 in trading 76,505 stocks.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share rose 69 cents to end at $7.63 in an exchange of 117 units. Eppley 7.75% preference share climbed $1 to a 52 weeks’ high of $21 with the swapping of 10 stock units and 138 Student Living preference share fell $7.58 to $49.32 with an exchange of 131 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.