Moderate gains for JSE majors – Thursday

With polls suggesting a tight race in the general election on Thursday, the Jamaica Stock Exchange main market continued to reflect uncertainty on Thursday as 15 securities declined, 13 gained as 33 changed hands in all market segments in a shortened session. Trading resulted in 1 stock closing at 52 weeks’ highs.
A total of 6,057,172 units valued at $98,493,384 changed hands in all markets. The junior market accounted for 2,076,968 units changing hands, valued at $12,398,257.
The JSE Market Index added 31.86 points to end at 157,673.33 the all Jamaica Composite Index squeezed out 35.60 points to end at 175,165.13 and the JSE combined index dropped 841.58 points to close at 166,544.40.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading was 14 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
At the end of the market activities, Cable and Wireless closed with a loss of 6 cents as 145,106 units changed hands at $1.50. Caribbean Cement continues with wild price swings, rising $3 to close at $33 with 36,000 shares changing hands, Carreras closed at $66 after gaining $1, while trading 31,891 units, Gleaner ended with a gain of 1 cent to close at $2.43 with 69,622 shares trading, Grace Kennedy ended with 25,660 shares trading to close at $82.50 after losing 50 cents. Jamaica Broilers fell 26 cents with 583,521 units to close at $14.50, JMMB Group had 280,100 units changing hands to close at $10.41. Kingston Wharves had 68,371 shares trading with a loss of 1 cent at $11.44, National Commercial Bank had 1,182,454 shares changing hands with a fall of 60 cent to close at $40.40. Palace Amusement dropped by $13 to close at $74 with 100 shares trading, Pan Jamaican traded 4,231 shares but fell $1 to $94.50, Pulse Investments traded 206,000 shares with a fall of 48 cents to end at $3.22. Sagicor Group gained 45 cents with 4,270 shares changing hands at $23.50, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 25 cents with 1,000 shares changing hands at $11.95, Scotia Group had 136,020 shares changing hands, to close with a gain of 50 cents to end at $32. Scotia Investments had 7,550 units changing hands at $30, Supreme Ventures rose 49 cents to close at $6 with 114,353 units changing hands. JMMB Group 5.75% preference share traded 380,000 units at $1.06, JMMB Group 7.5% preference share traded 200,000 units and rose 5 cents to end at $2.15 and Proven Investments ordinary share traded 500,000 units at 21 US cents after rising by 1 US cent.