On the penultimate trading day of July, market activity ended with mixed on Thursday, just one stock separating stocks rising and declining after an exchange of 18 percent fewer shares, with 41 percent higher value than on Wednesday at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index added just 48.11 points to end at 460,076.56, the JSE Main Index shed 405.69 points to finish at 420,886.99 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.23 points to 103.72.
Similar to Wednesday, 49 securities traded, with 20 rising, 19 declining and 10 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio, a measure that determines appropriate stock values, averages 16.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
A total of 11,830,600 shares traded for $136,776,530 versus 14,440,911 units at $97,082,889 on Wednesday. Transjamaican Highway led trading with 38.8 percent after 4.59 million shares changed hands, followed by Radio Jamaica 13.2 percent, with 1.56 million units and QWI Investments 9.1 percent after an exchange of 1.08 million units.
Trading averaged 241,441 units at $2,791,358, compared to 294,712 shares at $1,981,283 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averages 321,606 units at $15,666,712, in contrast to 325,554 units at $16,300,774 on Wednesday. June ended with an average of 249,610 units at $3,877,606.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments rose $1.20 to end at $84.70 after exchanging 8,897 shares, Eppley popped $5.77 to $41.87 in trading 1,017 stocks, GraceKennedy lost 30 cents to finish at $99.70 in switching ownership of 117,507 stock units, Guardian Holdings shed $9 to $640 with the swapping of 3,932 units. Jamaica Broilers popped 49 cents to $36.49 in exchanging 6,875 shares, Jamaica Producers rallied $1.50 to $23.50 after transferring 1,500 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 53 cents to $17.83 in trading 3,054 stocks. JMMB Group fell 48 cents to $37.40 with a transfer of 252,605 stock units, Kingston Properties gained 36 cents to end at $9.90 in switching ownership of 5,437 units. Mayberry Investments fell 20 cents to $5.70 in exchanging 11,932 stocks, NCB Financial declined $3 to $139 after 23,985 shares cleared the market. Palace Amusement popped $30 to close at $1,050 in switching ownership of 75 units, Pulse Investments lost 25 cents in closing at $3.76 with the swapping of 414,730 shares, Sagicor Group declined $1 to $55 with 57,606 stock units crossing the market, Scotia Group spiked 50 cents to $41.50 with 446 units clearing the market and Supreme Ventures shed 50 cents at $20 in switching ownership of 10,621 stocks.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7% rose 24 cents to $1.84 in trading 541 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.