Sizable gains for JSE main market

Market activity on the Junior Market resulted in the major indices recording more gains on Thursday and bringing the increase for the week to 11,719.17 points as the market continues to recover from its 42,772.34 fall from the peak in early August.
The market closed with the All Jamaican Composite Index climbing 2,648.71 points to 556,709.48, the JSE Index advancing 2,402.96 points to 506,866.54 and the JSE Financial Index posting 0.66 points to end at 137.80.
The market activity led to 38 securities changing hands in the main and US dollar markets with 14 advancing, 13 declining and 11 trading firm. Main market activity ended with 36 securities accounting for 24,330,188 units valued at $89,041,566 in contrast to 20,477,665 units valued at $53,408,633 on Wednesday from 33 securities.
Sagicor Select Funds dominated trading with 10.8 million shares for 44 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 7.8 million units accounting for 32 percent of the day’s trade and QWI Investments with 4 million shares and 16 percent. 1834 Investments closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.25 after trading at $1.26 earlier, while Proven Investments US dollar listed stock traded at a 52 weeks’ high of 30.5 US cents.
The market closed with an average of 675,839 units valued at an average of $2,473,377 for each security traded, in contrast to 619,626 units for an average of 1,618,443 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 447,021 units valued at $3,379,509 and previously, an average of 423,619 units valued at $3,482,413 for each security changing hands. The market closed out October with an average of 957,488 units valued at $13,947,047 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 10 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 6 with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 17.1, with the main market ending at 17.8 times 2019 current year’s earnings.
In main market activity, Caribbean Cement traded 5,290 stock units and closed at $75.50, after losing $1.49, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained $1 to settle at $36, with 9,750 shares changing hands, Grace Kennedy closed $1 higher to $$67, in swapping 12,774 units. Jamaica Broilers added 62 cents to close at $36.42, trading 12,749 shares, Jamaica Producers lost 39 cents to end at $24.05, with an exchange of 11,146 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 44 cents to settle at $34.56 after 21,889 stock units passed through the market. Kingston Properties lost 62 cents while trading 1,680 units, to end at $5.30, Kingston Wharves gained $1 to close at $61 with 820 shares changing hands, Mayberry Investments closed 70 cents lower to $7.40, with 8,910 units traded, Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 30 cents to end at $12 exchanging 5,350 shares. NCB Financial ended at $213.10, after rising $1.10 with a transfer of 131,716 units, Portland JSX closed at $8.10, after losing 40 cents with 100 units trading, Salada Foods dropped $1, in ending at $29 with 500 units crossing the exchange. Seprod rose by $1.03 to $51.53, with 8,274 shares changing hands, Supreme Ventures gained 49 cents, ending the day’s trade at $26.49 with 76,054 shares traded, Victoria Mutual Investments closed 30 cents higher to settle at $8.30, with 272,572 shares changing hands and Wisynco Group lost 50 cents to close at $23, with 57,193 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 5,449,518 units valued at US$1,638,052 with the market adding 1.77 points to close at 210.34. Proven Investments traded 5,306,625 units at 30 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments closed at 14 US cents with 142,893 units changing hands.