Stocks end Friday with big gains

Trading in the main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Friday with a big jump in the indices as the number of stocks rising climbed to 15 with just 7 declining out of a total of 26 securities trading in the US dollar and main markets. A number of stocks recorded big price movements by the close.
At the close, the All Jamaica Composite Index advanced 1,704.13 points to 257,973.24, the JSE Market Index gained 1,552.66 points to 235,042.84 and the JSE US dollar market index fell 6.29 points to close at 180.97. Trading in the main market ended with 1,531,947 units valued at $26,473,230 changing hands compared to 797,671 units valued at $13,179,281 at the close on Thursday. The US dollar market, closed with 3 securities trading and accounted for 117,720 units valued at US$56,637.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 13 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with a lower offer.
The main market ended trading with an average of 66,606 units valued at $1,151,010 for every security traded compared to an average of 37,984 units valued at $627,585 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 218,951 units with an average value of $3,871,959 compared with an average of 226,206 units with an average value of $4,001,529 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for May ended at 358,008 units and $9,037,303.
In market activity, Berger Paints jumped $2.97 to close at $17.97 trading 3,109 shares, Cable and Wireless closed at $1.16, with 37,558 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Cement climbed $2.50 higher to close at $28 in the exchange of 24,200 shares, Carreras advanced $2.40 to close at $89, with 5,200 units trading, Grace Kennedy closed at $41, losing 50 cents with an exchange of 33,303 units, Jamaica Producers gained 5 cents to close at $16, with 14,263 units crossing the exchange platform. Jamaica Stock Exchange closed at $7 and gained 10 cents trading 319,683 shares, JMMB Group closed at $19.97, after surging $1.47 while exchanging 274,716 units, Kingston Properties traded 182 units at $9.95, Kingston Wharves gained 95 cents to close at $29.85, trading of 101,472 shares, Mayberry Investments closed at $5.10, with a rise of 55 cents, exchanging 53,120 shares. NCB Financial Group closed at $70, with a loss of $1 after exchanging 45,412 shares, 138 Student Living closed at $4.50 trading 19,823 shares, PanJam Investment closed at $34.89, with trades of 17,800 shares. Pulse Investments lost 49 cents to close at $17.50 exchanging 69,754 shares, Radio Jamaica gained 10 cents to close at $1.60, with 7,769 units changing hands, Sagicor Group closed at $33.09, with a loss of 1 cent exchanging 49,302 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded $1 higher to close at $12, with 29,966 shares changing owners, Scotia Group closed at $43, gaining 49 cents trading 61,260 shares, Scotia Investments closed at $38, with gains of $1.42 exchanging 30,000 units. Seprod added 7 cents to close at $28.07, with trades of 1,149 shares while Supreme Ventures closed at $7.45, with a rise of 15 cents with 70,200 shares changing hands. Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 24 US cents, with an exchange of 20,364 units, after rising by a fraction of a cent, Margaritaville Turks US ordinary shares lost 0.02 US cents to close at 32 US cents, trading 73,174 units, JMMB Group US 6% preference share traded 0.03 US cents lower, closing at US$1.10 with 24,182 units exchanged and Proven 8.25% preference share lost 2 cents to close at $5.15, with 262,706 units traded.