Market activity ended on Wednesday with the volume of shares trading rising 39 percent and the value of stocks 25 percent lower than Tuesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market as rising stocks clobbered those declining.
Overall, 51 securities traded compared to 50 on Tuesday, with 26 rising, 17 declining and eight unchanged. The All Jamaican Composite Index spiked 2,767.79 points to 434,213.32, the JSE Main Index jumped 2,471.24 points to 392,763.61 and the JSE Financial Index rallied 0.42 points to end at 95.85.
The PE Ratio, a formula for computing appropriate stock values, averages 15.7. The PE ratio for the JSE Main and USD Market closing quotes are based on earnings forecasts of ICInsider.com for companies with financial years ending between the current year and August 2022.
Trading ended with 12,587,397 shares changing hands for $74,535,868 versus 9,056,607 units at $98,885,368 on Tuesday. Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 52.9 percent of total volume for an exchange of 6.65 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway 12.7 percent with 1.6 million units and 1834 Investments 4.3 percent with 543,746 shares changing hands.
Trading averages 246,812 units at $1,461,488, compared to 181,132 shares at $1,977,707 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 249,500 units at $2,910,778, compared to 249,657 units at $2,995,639 on Tuesday. October closed with an average of 251,350 units at $2,773,208.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 14 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments dropped $2.25 to $90 with 25,365 shares changing hands, Berger Paints slipped 54 cents in closing at $13.56 after trading 3,799 stocks, Caribbean Cement climbed $7.01 to $86.50 with 117,109 stock units clearing the market. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund spiked $4 to close at $42 in switching ownership of 1,334 units, First Rock Capital rose 85 cents to $11.50 after exchanging 54,379 stock units, GraceKennedy advanced 94 cents to close at $98.94 with the swapping of 15,926 shares. Guardian Holdings spiked $20 to $540 in an exchange of 334 stocks, Jamaica Broilers shed $2 to end at $28.70 in trading 14,930 units, Jamaica Producers rallied $2.50 in closing at $23.95 in switching ownership of 20,200 stocks. JMMB Group popped 61 cents to $38.80 after transferring 223,545 shares, Kingston Wharves lost 30 cents in closing at $43.70 with the swapping of 100 units, Mayberry Investments gained 31 cents to $7.81 in trading 41,417 stock units. 
PanJam Investment declined $7.90 to close at $63.10 with 26,012 shares changing hands, Proven Investments gained 35 cents to end at $33.60 with a transfer of 12,467 stocks, Sagicor Group fell $1.79 to $52.20 after crossing the exchange with 57,067 stock units. Salada Foods gained 25 cents to end at $7 in trading 38,973 units, Scotia Group rose 60 cents to close at $34.90 with the swapping of 124,679 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments dipped 50 cents to $15 in exchanging 182,678 stocks. Sygnus Real Estate Finance rallied $1.51 to $16.01 after trading 2,629 shares.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share rose 90 cents to $6.90 in transferring 2,204 units and JMMB Group 7.25% lost 69 cents to close at $2.40 in switching ownership of 9,383 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
