More retreating for JSE on Friday

Pressure on the Jamaica main market stocks eased slightly on Friday with the indices gaining moderately but declining stocks still beat out advancing ones by a good margin with 19 securities declining and the prices of 10 securities gaining as 45 changed hands in all market segments. Trading resulted in 3 stocks closing at 52 weeks’ highs and one at intraday high.
A total of 7,670,934 units valued at $79,145,756 changed hands in all markets. The junior market accounted for 1,035,881 units changing hands, valued at $5,711,682.98.
The JSE Market Index rose 64.41 points to 157,387.02 the all Jamaica Composite Index gained 71.98 points to end at 174,845.16 and the JSE combined index dumped by 463.27 points to close at 168,117.47.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading was 9 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 5 with lower offers.
At the end of the market activities, Barita Investments retreated after the company posted lower earnings in the December quarter of $27.7 million versus $45.6 million as 10,000 units traded to close with a loss of 40 cents at $4.20. Berger Paints lost 49 cents to end at $4.21, with 5,070 units traded, Cable and Wireless closed with a loss of 1 cent as 619,883 units changed hands at $1.58. Caribbean Cement fell 50 cents to close at $30 with 31,123 shares changing hands, Carreras dropped $1 to close at $66, while trading 6,072 units, Ciboney declined by 6 cents to 15 cents with 2,955,517 shares trading, Gleaner traded 113,790 shares but fell 4 cents to $2.46. Grace Kennedy ended with 8,369 shares trading to close at $82.25 after gaining 70 cents. Jamaica Broilers jumped $1.15 with 647,438 units to close at $14.90, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended with 46,000 shares trading but rose 40 cents to close at $22.35, JMMB Group had 22,851 units changing hands at $11. Kingston Wharves had 7,260 shares trading with a gain of 5 cents at $11.40, Mayberry Investments traded 35,970 units to close at $4.5 for a decline of 5 cents, National Commercial Bank traded 109,827 shares to close at $41 after gaining 70 cents, while Pan Jamaican traded 14,727 shares with a fall of $1.30 to end at $94.70. Radio Jamaica traded 1,414 units but fell 30 cents to $4.30, Sagicor Group fell 1 cent with 469,568 shares changing hands at $22.10, Scotia Group had 1,242,641 shares changing hands to close with a gain of 50 cents to end at $33.50. Scotia Investments had 5,174 units changing hands at $28 after rising $1. Seprod closed at $22, with 26,364 shares trading, Supreme Ventures fell 5 cents to close at $5.85 with 170,772 units changing hands, JMMB Group 5.75% preference share traded 35,000 at $1.06 and Proven Investments preference share traded 40,000 units at $5.