Modest gains for JSE majors

The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market climbed marginally on lower volume and value with the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index adding just 166.56 points to close at 548,096.20, the JSE Index rising 168.54 points to 499,005.06 and the JSE Financial Index slipping 0.59 points to 135.60.
Trading ended with 40 securities changing hands in the main and US dollar markets with 14 stocks advancing, 14 declining and 12 trading firm. Main market activity ended with 37 securities trading, resulting in 13,077,566 units valued at $68,716,819 in contrast to 40,595,146 units valued at $1,769,588,600 from 36 securities trading on Tuesday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 6.3 million units for 48 percent of total volume, followed by Sagicor Select Funds with 3.4 million shares for 26 percent of the market’s trade and QWI Investments with 2 million units accounting for 14 percent of the day’s trade.
The market closed with an average of 353,448 units valued at $1,857,211 for each security traded, in contrast to 1,127,643 units for an average of $49,155,239 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 951,792shares at a value of $17,309,566 for each security traded and previously 1,004,254 shares at $18,786,922 for each stock traded. The market closed out September with an average of 1,585,081 units valued at $14,071,562 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer reading shows 13 securities ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 16.5 with the main market ending at 17.2 times 2019 current year’s earnings.
In main market activity, Caribbean Cement lost 81 cents to close at $76 with 10,346 shares changing hands, Grace Kennedy gained 45 cents to close at $66.80 after exchanging 34,590 shares, Jamaica Broilers closed $1.94 higher in trading 23,816 shares to settle at $35,Jamaica Producers advanced by $4.07 with 8,063 shares changing hands in closing at $25.37. Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 50 cents, ending at $28.50 with 35,156 units traded, JMMB Group closed 90 cents lower to $41.10 in swapping 157,024 shares after the company announced the issue price for the ordinary shares to raise up to $12.4 billion at up to $38.70 each. Mayberry Investments lost 30 cents to settle at $8.70 with 5,300 shares changing hands, PanJam Investment gained 75 cents, in closing at $101 after trading 18,654 shares, Pulse Investments closed 51 cents higher to a new closing high of $5 in an exchange of 226,000 shares. Salada Foods fell by $1.30 to $28 with 11,200 shares traded, Scotia Group advanced by $3.30, after 13,966 shares changed hands to settle at $59.50, Supreme Ventures gained 45 cents to close at $26.50 with 26,155 shares being exchanged and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 67 cents, in closing at $23.03 after trading 4,582 shares.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 331,909 units valued at $79,101 and the market index dipped 0.02 points to 196.66. Proven Investments exchanged 285,009 units to close at 26.98 US cents, Sterling Investmentsended at 3 US cents after losing 0.03 of a US cent trading 38,000 shares and Sygnus Credit Investmentslost 0.01 of a US cent to close at 14 US cents with 8,900 shares changing hands.