Prices retreat to start 2024 for Main Market

The year-end push in prices gave back some of the gains at Friday’s close on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market as trading commenced for 2024 on Tuesday, resulting in a 76 percent drop in the volume of stocks traded as the value dived 92 percent lower than on Friday, ending with trading in 62 securities compared with 61 on Friday, with 13 rising, 31 declining and 18 ending unchanged.
A total of just 11,588,245 shares were traded for $66,472,610 compared to 49,282,609 units at $809,014,389 on Friday.
Trading ended with an average of 186,907 shares at $1,072,139 compared with 807,912 units at $13,262,531 on Friday compared to December with an average of 264,266 units at $3,755,946.
Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 3.15 million shares for 27.1 percent of total volume followed by Transjamaican Highway with 2.45 million units for 21.1 percent of the day’s trade and Ciboney Group with 1.98 million units for 17.1 percent of the day’s trade.
The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,130.72 points to settle at 368,148.57, the JSE Main Index rose 2,125.48 points to lock up trading at 327,825.27 and the JSE Financial Index added 1.65 points to finish at 72.30.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.6. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and eight with lower offers.
At the close, AS Bryden declined $3.01 and ended at $30.10 while exchanging 2,070 units, Barita Investments fell $3.98 to $73 with investors dealing in 2,272 stocks, Berger Paints dipped 94 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.75 after an exchange of 61,379 shares. Caribbean Cement sank 52 cents in closing at $59.48 after investors ended trading 6,211 stock units, Eppley popped $2.04 to close at $38.04 in an exchange of 1,386 shares, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund dropped $2.10 to $40 with investors trading 3,293 stock units. First Rock Real Estate shed 85 cents to end at $6.75 after an exchange of 3,000 units, GraceKennedy lost 45 cents in closing at $79.50, with 8,851 stocks crossing the market, Guardian Holdings jumped $49.98 and ended at $399.98 in an exchange of 24 shares. Jamaica Producers rose 50 cents to close at $22.50 after 7,000 stocks passed through the market, JMMB Group skidded $1 to $25 in trading 48,891 units, Kingston Wharves sank 50 cents and ended at $26.50 after a transfer of 13,043 stock units. Massy Holdings rallied $1 to end at $91, with 3,152 shares crossing the market, Mayberry Group shed 90 cents in closing at $8.60 as investors exchanged 3,759 stocks, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped 88 cents to close at $89.01 in switching ownership of 655 units. NCB Financial lost $1.99 to close at $68, with 40,596 stock units changing hands, 138 Student Living increased 32 cents to end at $4.21 with a transfer of 11,200 shares, Proven Investments climbed 98 cents to $23.48, with 6,233 units crossing the exchange. Pulse Investments dipped 25 cents to close at $1.84 with investors transferring 160,749 stocks, Radio Jamaica fell 48 cents and ended at $1.45 after closing with an exchange of 171,837 stock units, Sagicor Group skidded $2.50 to $47 with 700,814 shares changing hands. Scotia Group rallied $1.10 and ended at $39.50, with 69,913 stock units clearing the market, Seprod declined $2.51 to end at $79.99 with traders dealing in 11,464 units, Supreme Ventures shed $2 in closing at $25 with investors swapping 159,371 stocks and Wisynco Group dropped 95 cents to close at $21.05 in an exchange of 34,165 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.75% preference share sank $3 to $19 with traders dealing in 926 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.