Sterling dominates Main Market trading

Sterling Investments accounted for 50 percent of the total volume of shares trading on Monday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, after the overall trading saw an 81 percent drop in volume compared to Friday and a 53 percent fall in the value of stock changing hands.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 760.15 points to 453,615.66, the JSE Main Index gained 32.01 points to end at 422,098.56 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.22 points to settle at 104.52.
Trading ended with 45 securities compared to 49 on Friday, with 16 stocks rising, 23 declining and six remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio ended with an average of 16.1 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 23,167,260 shares trading for $283,034,981 versus 119,750,700 units at $599,497,233 on Friday. Sterling Investments led trading with 50 percent of total volume after trading 11.58 million shares followed by Sagicor Group 12.2 percent with 2.84 million units, Pulse Investments controlled 11.4 percent, with 2.63 million units, Transjamaican Highway took 6.3 percent of the trade with 1.45 million units and Wigton Windfarm took 5.2 percent for an exchange of 1.20 million units.
Trading averaged 514,828 units on Monday at $6,289,666, compared to 2,443,892 shares at $12,234,637 on Friday. Trading month to date averages 439,937units at $4,698,961, in contrast to 436,367 units at $4,623,132 on Friday. April closed with an average of 234,200 units at $1,772,561.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 16 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments fell 55 cents to end at $85.30 in exchanging 1,121 shares, Caribbean Cement rose $1.45 to $89.45 with 10,453 stocks crossing the market, Grace Kennedy closed $1.54 higher at $89.95 with 63,740 stock units changing hands. Guardian Holdings declined $2 to $761 in trading 47,275 shares, Jamaica Broilers gained 38 cents to close at $34.38 with an exchange of 7,787 units, Jamaica Producers finished 50 cents higher at $24.50, after 102,993 stocks cleared the market. Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 36 cents to close at $17.36 in trading 1,238 units, Key Insurance lost 28 cents to settle at $5.07 in transferring 26,746 stocks. Kingston Wharves picked up 30 cents in ending at $46.50 with 2,038 units crossing the exchange, Mayberry Investments lost 58 cents to end at $5.27 with 10,297 shares changing hands, NCB Financial lost 20 cents to close at $139.80 after investors switched 100,721 shares, Palace Amusement dropped $50 to $920 with 233 shares clearing the market, PanJam Investment advanced $2.70 to $69.70 in switching ownership of 22,494 units. Pulse Investments declined 40 cents to $4.40 in swapping 2,634,338 stocks, Sagicor Group slipped 25 cents to end at $52.50 with 2,835,484 stocks clearing the market, Seprod shed 90 cents to close at $74.10 with 13,279 units changing hands. Sygnus Credit Investments ended 25 cents lower at $15.25 in an exchange of 64,490 shares and Victoria Mutual Investments fell 45 cents to $6.51 after 85,621 stocks crossed the market.
In the preference segment, Eppley 8.75% preference share rose 77 cents to $7.28 after trading 1,330 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.