The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed higher on reduced volume less dollar valued than on Wednesday as three stocks rose for every two that declined, leading to the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumping 3,216.72 points to 417,500.17.
The JSE Market Index climbed 2,911.92 points to 380,510.48 and the JSE Financial Index adding just 0.30 points to 103.93.
The market closed with 45 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 21 stocks advancing, 14 declining and ten securities trading firm. JSE Main Market activity ended with 40 securities accounting for 19,058,509 units valued at $80,731,137, in contrast to 22,417,248 units valued at $113,463,573 from 40 securities on Wednesday.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 10.3 million shares for 54.3 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 3.4 million units for 17.7 percent of the day’s trade and Wisynco Group with 1.4 million units for 7 percent of the market share. Sagicor Select Financial Fund was the only other stock trading more than one million units, with 1.05 million shares.
The Market closed with an average of 476,463 units valued at an average of $2,018,278 for each security traded, in contrast to 560,431 units valued at an average of $2,836,589 on Wednesday.
Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.4, while the Main Market ended at 14.6 times 2020/21 earnings.
In Main Market trading, Barita Investments lost $1, closing at $53 with an exchange of 14,539 shares, Berger Paints added 50 cents trading 5,309 units to end at $14.50, Caribbean Cement climbed $3.95 to $42.95, with 169,098 shares crossing the exchange. Eppley traded at $15, after rising $2.50 and transferring 6,222 units, First Rock Capital gained 95 cents to finish at $10.50, in swapping 14,181 shares, Grace Kennedy picked up 60 cents to close at $57.60, with 17,231 shares changing hands. Jamaica Broilers closed with a loss of $1, transferring 138,933 shares to end at $32,
Jamaica Producers fell by $2.31 to $18.70 after trading 35,872 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange shed 50 cents to close at $22.50, with an exchange of 40,317 shares. JMMB Group closed 54 cents lower to $38, in swapping 171,356 shares, NCB Financial Group declined to $150.25, with a loss of $4.74 and trading 36,785 stock units. Proven Investments added 90 cents to finish at $37.50, with 11,664 units crossing the exchange, Scotia Group climbed $1.49 to $47.99 in transferring 18,664 units, Seprod closed 50 cents higher at $48, in exchanging 25,496 shares. Stanley Motta gained 80 cents in swapping 200 units and finished at $5.80, Supreme Ventures picked up 43 cents to end at $14, with 17,488 units changing hands, Sygnus Credit Investments closed at $18.90, with gains of $1.87 trading 12,280 stock units and Wisynco Group rose 60 cents to $13.90, with a transfer of 1,360,292 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the day’s last transaction unless otherwise stated.
