Prices drop market indices rise

The Jamaica Stock Exchange, Main Market indices, climbed on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 47 percent and the value surging 434 percent above Tuesday’s activities, but it closed with declining stocks exceeding rising ones on a 3 to 2 basis.
The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 4,841.97 points to  443,103.96, the JSE Main Index popped 4,026.85 points to end at 388,150.21 and the JSE Financial Index rose 1.42 points to settle at 91.75.
Trading ended with 56 securities compared to 53 on Tuesday, with 18 rising, 26 declining and 12 ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 14.6 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on ICInsider.com’s forecasted earnings for companies with financial years ending up to the close of August 2023.
Some 13,218,682 shares were exchanged for $481,285,926 versus 8,858,814 units at $90,095,210 on Tuesday. Trading averages 236,048 units at $8,594,409, cup from 167,147 shares at $1,699,910 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 246,228 units at $2,954,224, compared to 248,355 units at $1,775,677 on the previous trading day. May closed with an average of 238,645 units at $3,561,016.
Productive Business Solutions 9.75% Preference share led trading with 3.62 million shares for 27.7 percent of total volume, followed by JMMB Group 7.35% – 2028 preference share, 2.5 million units for 18.1 percent of total trading, Transjamaican Highway closed with 1.69 million units for 12.9 percent market share and Supreme Ventures, 1.21 million units for 9.3 percent of the day’s trade.
The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement dropped $1.40 in closing at $72.60 with 19,225 shares clearing the market, Caribbean Producers shed $1 to end at $14, closing with 426,521 units changing hands, Eppley jumped $7.99 to $47 after trading 1,220 stock units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund declined $1, ending at $44 in switching ownership of 2,785 stocks, First Rock Capital increased 40 cents to $13.05 in exchanging 40,657 units, GraceKennedy lost 50 cents to end at $107.50 in trading 10,091 shares. Guardian Holdings fell $21 to $512 after exchanging 2,783 stocks, Jamaica Broilers rose $1.07 to close at $27.07, with 10,986 stock units crossing the exchange, Jamaica Producers climbed 90 cents to $22.70 with an exchange of 8,526 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange popped 60 cents in closing at $18.60 with the swapping of 2,450 stock units, Mayberry Investments gained 95 cents in ending at $10.40 after trading 5,583 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities shed $1 to close at $14, with 523 shares crossing the market. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rallied $2.95 in closing at $107.95 after exchanging 11 units, PanJam Investment dropped $1.50 to $64.50, trading 15,265 stock units, Portland JSX climbed $2.93 to $9.43 while exchanging 350 shares. Proven Investments fell 40 cents in closing at $37.05 in an exchange of 6,885 stocks, Sagicor Group lost $1 to $56, with 121,771 stocks changing hands, Scotia Group gained $1.14 to close at $37.15, with 60,571 stock units crossing the market. Seprod rose 98 cents to end at $72 in exchanging 29,674 units, Stanley Motta declined 45 cents ending at $5.50 in switching ownership of 2,067 shares and Wisynco Group fell 40 cents in closing at $19.50, clearing the market with 46,343 stock units.
In the preference segment, Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share declined $2.75 to end at $107 in trading 3,622,980 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.