Sharp drop for JSE Main Market

The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange suffered a significant fall at the close on Tuesday with declining stocks outnumbering advancers two to one.
The market closed with 40 securities changing hands in the main and US dollar markets with 11 advancing, 22 declining, with prices of 7 unchanged. Main market activity ended with 38 securities accounting for 9,259,581 units valued at $69,761,481, in contrast to 5,684,180 units valued at $90,557,890 on Monday from 34 securities.
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dived 8,562.68 points to close at 545,819.64, the JSE Market Index plunged 7,743.45 points to 497,105.10 while the JSE Financial Index lost 2.58 points to close at 134.93.
Wigton Windfarm dominated trading with 4.8 million shares for 51.6 percent of the day’s trade, followed by Sagicor Select Funds with 2.3 million shares and 25 percent of volume and QWI Investments with 1.1 million shares and 11.5 percent.
The market closed with an average of 255,401 units valued at an average of $1,835,828 for each security traded, in contrast to 243,673 units for an average of $3,283,732 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 383,292 units valued at $5,297,192 and previously, an average of 402,202 units valued at $5,897,793 for each security changing hands. The market closed out November with an average of 653,621 units valued at $8,699,916 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 19.6, with the prime market stocks ending at 19.4 times 2019 current year’s earnings.
In the JSE Main Market, Barita Investments lost $1.50 to settle at $70.50, with 8,573 shares changing hands, Berger Paints fell 50 cents to $16.50 while trading 3,799 stock units, Caribbean Cement declined by 50 cents to end at $76.50, in swapping 1,066 units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund added $1.50 to close at $39.50, with an exchange of 1,565 shares, Grace Kennedy declined by $1 to $65, in transferring 10,263 shares, Jamaica Broilers closed $1.63 lower to $36.37, with 22,923 shares crossing the exchange. Jamaica Producers lost 40 cents to settle at $24, after swapping 17,273 shares, JMMB Group closed at $46.75, after losing 35 cents in transferring 99,844 shares, Kingston Wharves ended at $59.50, with a loss of $1 trading 5,774 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities closed $1.09 lower to $12 while exchanging 4,056 units, NCB Financial Group declined to $197, after losing $3 and trading 159,487 shares, 138 Student Living added 32 cents to close at $5.02, with 10,000 shares crossing the exchange. PanJam Investment gained 59 cents to settle at $102 in exchanging 19,837 units. Proven Investments lost 39 cents to close at $47.50, with 7,537 units changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell to $10.51, after losing 49 cents and transferring 12,180 shares, Stanley Motta lost 61 cents to close at $5.29, in exchanging 2,920 shares. Sterling Investments gained 45 cents to end at $3.45, in swapping 3,400 shares, Supreme Ventures rose to $26.45, after climbing $1.44 with 10,467 units changing hands and Sygnus Investments closed $2 lower to $21, with an exchange of 212,489 shares.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 71,801 units valued at US$12,559, with the market index falling 2.64 points to 211.25. Proven Investments traded 28,242 to close at 32 US cents, and Sygnus Credit Investments exchanged 27,002 shares at 14 US cents.