NCB pushes JSE to another record close

A big rise of $2.50 in shares of National Commercial Bank helped push the Jamaica Stock Exchange main market to a new record close but with trading activity declining from Friday’s levels, as trading remained subdued throughout the trading day.
At the close of trading the All Jamaica Composite Index climbed 422.80 points to close at a new closing high of 192,679.68 with the year to date gains at 16 percent. The JSE Market Index rose 378.06 points to finish at 173,331.69 and the JSE combined index gained 229.67 points to end at 185,938.49 with a gain for the year to date of 18 percent.
At the close with a mere 748,476 units valued at $7,664,842 changed hands, compared to 3,262,803 units valued at $38,639,306 changing hands on Friday. The junior market accounted for 1,589,420 units trading valued at $7,836,091 of the stocks traded.
The average trade for the day in the main market ended at 35,184 and 84,420 units month to date. On Friday, an average of 76,063 units traded and for the month to date, 133,657 units, in comparison the average for the October was 220,811 units.
The market closed with 25 securities trading as the prices of 6 gained while 10 declined in the overall market, including 1 stock rising and 6 falling, in the junior market.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, in the main and junior markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 16 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and just 9 with lower offers.
In market activity, Berger Paints traded 18,000 shares to end at $5.60, Cable & Wireless lost 1 cent to close at 79 cents with 228,318 units trading, Grace Kennedy ended trading only 2,400 units at $40, Jamaica Producers rose 5 cents and closed at $8.35 with 104,473 shares switching owners. JMMB Group closed trading with 4,703 shares to end with a rise of 20 cents at $14, Kingston Wharves traded 5,632 shares to close at $18.80, National Commercial Bank gained $2.50 with 12,375 shares trading, Sagicor Group had 46,371 shares changing hands and fell 39 cents to close at $24.11. Scotia Group rose 1 cent in trading 53,000 shares to close at $31.51, Seprod dropped $1.40 in trading 9,250 shares to end at $26 Supreme Ventures traded 21,000 shares at $4.95 and Proven Investments ordinary share traded 46,750 units and ended at 19.50 US cents.