More decline for JSE stocks

Trading on the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Friday with JSE All Jamaican Composite Index falling 439.11 points to 424,780.82 and the JSE Index declining 399.02 points to 387,003.02.
At the close of market activity, the main and US markets traded 37 securities, compared to 34 trading on Thursday as 12 advanced, 16 declined and 9 traded without changes in prices.
Main market activity ended with 4,603,011 units valued $150,633,830 trading, compared to 21,778,622 units valued $200,727,926 changing hands, on Thursday.
Scotia Group led trading with 1.27 million shares for 27.6 percent of the day’s volume, JMMB Group 7.5% preference was next with 605,000 units, accounting for 13 percent of the total main market volume changing hands and PanJam Investment ended with 554,238 shares, for 12 percent of the day’s volume. Eppley 8.25%  preference share, traded at a 52 week’s high of $6.50.
Market activity ended with an average 135,383 units valued at $4,430,407, in contrast to 659,958 shares valued at $6,082,664 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 391,249 shares at $7,075,160 for each security traded, in contrast to 459,748 shares at $6,000,486 on the prior trading day. Trading for February resulted in an average of 281,016 shares with a value of $11,715,160, for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator|The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with the reading showing 7 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 closing with lower offers.
In main market activity, Barita Investments dropped $1.44 to close at $48.55, trading of 35,826 shares, Berger Paints lost 59 cents and ended at $19.51, with an exchange of 5,212 stock units, Caribbean Cement closed with a drop of $1 to finish at $51, with 1,300 shares changing hands. Carreras traded 35,151 shares and rose 29 cents to close at $9.20, Grace Kennedy rose 50 cents in trading 32,372 stock units, to close at $61. Jamaica Producers gained 54 cents and closed at $23.49, with 121,256 shares changing hands, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 75 cents to end at $15, trading 120,454 shares, JMMB Group concluded trading of 13,925 shares with a decline of 98 cents to close at $32.01.  Kingston Properties recovered 60 cents to settle at $6.60, trading 309 shares, Kingston Wharves jumped $2 to settle at $77, with an exchange of 13,633 units, Proven Investments trading 10,765 shares in the Jamaican market gained $3.91 to close at $34.91, Sagicor Group fell 50 cents in trading 151,584 shares, to close at $39. Salada Foods dropped $2 traded with 6,938 units to close at $28, Seprod rose $1.49 to close at $43.99, trading 11,254 shares, Supreme Ventures  shed 50 cents to finish at $22 with 70,455 units changing hands and Victoria Mutual Investments  lost 35 cents to finish at $3.65, with an exchange of 352,533 units.
Trading in the US dollar market resulted in 163,218 units valued at over $42,236 changing hands. JMMB Group 6.00% closed with 8,182 units trading at US$1.04 after losing 1 cent,  Proven Investments closed trading with 153,036 units changing hands at 22.2196 and Sterling Investments traded 2,000 shares to close at 4 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index rose 0.99 points to close at 176.08.