Stock prices softened on Wednesday with demand for stocks dipping below Tuesday and ended withJ the volume of shares trading declining 23 percent and the value dropped 53 percent below Tuesday’s trade on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, resulting in declining stocks outnumbering those rising.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,575.15 points to 442,915.88, the Main Index shed 1,499.07 points to 403,191.56 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.14 points to end at 98.50.
Trading ended with 52 securities compared to 46 on Tuesday, with 14 stocks rising, 24 declining and 14 ending unchanged. The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 15.3 based on ICInsider.com’s earnings forecast for 2021-22.
Trading ended with 11,218,510 shares changing hands for $80,012,135 versus 14,658,044 units at $171,290,682 on Tuesday. Transjamaican Highway led trading with 35.1 percent of total volume for an exchange of 3.94 million shares, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 24.8 percent after trading 2.78 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 6.7 percent after trading 753,355 shares.
Trading averages 215,741 units at $1,538,695, compared to 318,653 shares at $3,723,710 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 312,513 units at $3,563,672, compared to 319,205 units at $3,703,697 on Tuesday. August closed with an average of 480,039 units at $8,561,549.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments fell $2.49 to $91.51, with 45,486 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement declined $2 to close at $101 with the swapping of 5,329 units, GraceKennedy shed 69 cents in closing at $98.80 after swapping 65,023 stocks. Guardian Holdings slid $5 to $580 in trading 1,341 stock units, Jamaica Broilers declined $3.10 to $25, with 171,105 units crossing the exchange, Margaritaville rose 80 cents to $15 in exchanging 220 shares. Mayberry Investments lost 30 cents to finish at $5.70 in trading 143,039 stocks, Palace Amusement dropped $148 in closing at $902 in an exchange of 70 stock units, PanJam Investment shed 50 cents to $62 with the swapping of 50,000 shares. Proven Investments spiked 53 cents to $32.90 with 6,350 stocks crossing the market, Salada Foods lost 30 cents to end at $6.20 in trading 51,666 stock units, after trading as low as $5.52, during the trading session.
Scotia Group popped 45 cents to $40 with an exchange of 90,230 units, Seprod lost 35 cents to close at $63.65, with 291,051 stock units clearing the market, Supreme Ventures rose 85 cents in closing at $18.85 after switching ownership of 115,950 units and Sygnus Credit Investments gained 38 cents in ending at $15.88 and exchanging 38,335 stocks.
In the corporate bond segment, Guardian Holdings 7% due 2027 bond rose 30 cents to $102.65 after trading 500,000 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
