The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange brushed aside two days of gains towards the end of last week, to close with the market index dropping over 2,000 points on Monday and ending with lower volume and value as the number of stocks gained, outnumbering losers, more than two to one.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 2,426.04 points to 413,307.03, the JSE Market Index dropped 2,201.27 points to 376,914.67 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.97 points to 97.99. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.7, while the Main Market ended at 15.1 times IC Insider.com projected 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 44 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 26 stocks advancing, 12 declining and seven securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 41 securities accounting for 16,453,963 units valued at $79,166,239, in contrast to 23,620,498 units valued at $191,546,437 from 41 securities on Friday.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 5.6 million shares for 34 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Funds with 3.1 million units for 19 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Windfarm with 2.1 million units for 12.8 percent market share. Other stocks trading more than one million units were Carreras with 1 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.6 million shares.
Securities trading on Monday, averaged 401,316 units at $1,930,884, in contrast to 576,109 units valued at an average of $4,671,864 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 409,048 units valued at $5,195,213 for each security changing hands, compared to 409,744 units with an average value of $5,519,274. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows fourteen stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six stocks closing with lower offers.
In the Main Market, Barita Investments gained 94 cents exchanging 9,828 units to end at $49.99, Caribbean Cement climbed $1.40 to $50.90, in transferring 10,956 units, Eppley added 30 cents to finish at $16.30, with 609 units changing hands. First Rock Capital traded 16,485 units at $15.75, after picking up 95 cents, Jamaica Broilers closed at $27, with gains of 50 cents in swapping 14,280 stock units, Jamaica Producers ended 90 cents higher at $21.95, exchanging of 651,216 shares. 
Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 50 cents after transferring 47,598 stock units to settle at $23, Kingston Wharves climbed $1.98 to $58.98, in trading 19,979 units, Mayberry Investments closed at $5.70, with gains of 38 cents and 8,103 units changing hands. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy advanced $1 to $170, after exchanging just four units, Palace Amusement closed $200 lower at $1,700, with 37 units crossing the exchange, PanJam Investment dropped $1 trading 12,304 units to finish at $74. Portland JSX traded 9,000 units at 7.90, after losing 53 cents, Proven Investments advanced by $1.28 to $35.98, with 39,763 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Group closed 30 cents higher at $46.50 trading 19,744 units. Salada Foods gained 51 cents transferring 150 units to settle at $26.51, Scotia Group lost $1 to end at $44, in swapping 73,374 shares and Wisynco Group shed 30 cents transferring 375,093 shares and closed at $17.50.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
