Plunge for JSE Main Market

Stocks traded sharply down on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Monday with a dip in the volume of stocks traded at 73 percent lesser value than on Friday, after trading in 60 securities down from 56 on Friday, ending with 21 rising, 27 declining and 12 unchanged.
A total of 10,386,916 shares were traded for $54,644,130 versus 11,174,825 units at $201,235,785 on Friday.
Trading averaged 173,115 shares at $910,736 down from 199,550 shares at $3,593,496 on Friday and trading month to date averaged 146,212 units at $1,360,406 compared to 139,372 units at $1,474,729 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 604,110 units at $4,072,598.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 4.73 million shares for 45.5 percent of total volume followed by Pulse Investments with 2.05 million units for 19.7 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 960,501 units for 9.2 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index plunged 5,923.29 points to 390,120.58, the JSE Main Index dropped 4,673.08 points to 343,507.55 and the JSE Financial Index declined 0.43 points to close at 82.48.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 14.4 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios incorporate earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending between November and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments declined $1.36 to close at $96.28 after an exchange of 4,332 shares, Caribbean Producers shed 91 cents to end at $10.94 after trading 52,746 units, Eppley fell $6.11 to $34.88 after a transfer of 42 stock units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund dipped 49 cents in closing at $49.50 with 112 stocks changing hands, First Rock Real Estate popped $1 to $13.03 in switching ownership of 525 stocks, Guardian Holdings dropped $19.50 to $505 with investors transferring 337 units. Jamaica Broilers rose 89 cents to $30.50 with 6,023 shares clearing the market, JMMB Group fell 40 cents to $32.60 trading 20,395 stock units, Kingston Wharves fell $4.35 to end at $30.25 in switching ownership of 137,494 stocks.NCB Financial shed 70 cents in closing at $79.30 in exchanging 55,225 units, Palace Amusement climbed $55 to $1,645 with 292 shares passing through the market, Portland JSX advanced $1.50 to $10.50 after a transfer of 218 stock units. Sagicor Group declined 65 cents to $51 in exchanging 10,698 stock units, Scotia Group lost 90 cents to close at $33.10 as investors swapped 46,782 shares, Seprod shed $2.90 in ending at $66 with a transfer of 3,584 units. Stanley Motta fell 50 cents to finish at $4.50 in trading 2,010 stocks, Supreme Ventures lost 49 cents to close at $27.01 after transferring 105,284 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments advanced 65 cents to end at $13.50 with an exchange of 10,368 stock units and Sygnus Real Estate Finance gained 50 cents to close at $9.90 with the swapping of 836 units.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7% preference share fell 44 cents to $2.46 in trading 71 stocks and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share dropped $13 in closing at $107 with the swapping of 187 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.