Modest fall for JSE majors

The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange slid modestly on Wednesday, as trading levels compared well to those on Tuesday.
The market closed with 36 securities changing hands in the main and US dollar markets with the prices of 9 advancing, 19 declining and 5 trading firm. Main market activity ended with 35 securities accounting for 10,781,818 units changing hands valued $130,615,509, in contrast to 8,271,382 units changing hands valued at $138,889,143 on Tuesday from 32 securities.
At the end of market activities, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined 243.30 points to close at 543,330.00, the JSE Index dipped 174.77 points to close at 494,789.37 and the JSE Financial Index advanced by 0.37 points to 134.47.
Sagicor Select Funds dominated trading with 3.4 million shares for 31.5 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 3.1 million units accounting for 29 percent of the day’s trade. Wisynco Group with increased buying interest since releasing first-quarter results to September traded 1.66 shares for 15 percent of the market’s volume.
Trading levels continue well below October levels, with an average of 308,052 units valued at an average of $3,731,872 for each security traded on Tuesday, in contrast to 258,481 units for an average of $4,340,286 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 348,700 units at $3,699,266 and previously, of 361,874 units at $3,688,699 for each security changing hands. The market closed out October with an average of 957,488 units valued at $13,947,047 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 15 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 17.1, with the leading market ending at 17.9 times 2019 current year’s earnings.
In main market activity, Barita Investments lost 98 cents to close at $70.50 after exchanging 14,342 shares, Jamaica Broilers traded 8,560 stock units and rose $2.62 to settle at $36.62, Jamaica Producers closed at $23.85, after gaining $1.90 in the swapping of 721,500 units. JMMB Group closed $1 lower to $40, with 6,664 stock units changing hands, Mayberry Investments lost 84 cents in trading 11,400 stock units to end at $8, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $5 to close at $255 after exchanging 664 shares. NCB Financial rose by $1 to end at $205 after the swapping of 124,823 shares, Panjam Investment climbed by $5.30 to settle at $102.75 trading 188,775 stocks units, Portland JSX Fund lost 90 cents in trading 45,500 shares to close at $8.10, Scotia Group climbed $1.89 trading 67,916 shares, to end at $58. Supreme Ventures added 99 cents to close at $25.99 with 51,718 shares changing hands, Victoria Mutual Investments gained 34 cents to $7.85 while exchanging 158,812 stock units and Wisynco Group gained 65 cents, in swapping 1,657,038 shares to close at $23.65.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with just 1,237 units valued at US$173 with the market index remaining at 194.07 as Sygnus Credit Investments, the sole traded stock, closed unchanged at 14 US cents.