Stocks ended on Friday after almost half declined in trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, with a 20 percent fall in the volume of shares exchanged but with a much higher value of 83 percent than on Thursday.
The market indices just held above the negative zone for the year at the close, with the All Jamaican Composite Index declining 1,211.78 points to 433,954.68. The JSE Main Index fell 1,096.63 to 395,736.54 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.38 points to settle at 99.52.
Investors traded 45 securities, down from 47 on Thursday with 15 rising, 21 declining and nine remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio averages 19.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Traders exchanged 9,088,136 shares for $177,253,367 from 11,391,248 units at $97,106,816 on Thursday. Transjamaican Highway led trading with 23.1 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 2.10 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 13.6 percent for 1.24 million units and Grace Kennedy with 11.8 percent after 1.07 million units changed hands.
Trading for the day averaged 201,959 units at $3,938,964 for each security, compared to 242,367 shares at $2,066,102 on Thursday. Month to date trading averaged 303,713 units at $2,203,520, in contrast to 328,734 units at $1,776,771 on Thursday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints fell $1.10 to end at $13, with 13,205 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement shed 67 cents to $66.33 after exchanging 24,863 shares. Eppley rose $1.50 to $28, with 84,840 stock units crossing the market, Grace Kennedy declined $1.50 to $88.50 trading 1,068,419 shares, Jamaica Broilers advanced $2.60 to $31 with 383,672 stock units clearing the market, Jamaica Producers rose 30 cents to $20 in trading 25,553 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 86 cents to $18.86 in the transferring of 12,754 stocks, JMMB Group lost 20 cents to finish at $32.80 after an exchange of 110,555 shares, Kingston Properties lost 50 cents in closing at $6.75 trading 4,959 units. Mayberry Investments gained 29 cents to $5.80 after 2,100 stocks crossed the exchange, Mayberry Jamaican Equities climbed 99 cents to $8 in switching ownership of 22,821 stock units, NCB Financial declined $3.21 to $141 after trading 55,701 units.
138 Student Living lost 40 cents to close at $5.60 in an exchange of 100 units, Palace Amusement dropped $83.28 to close at $801.72, after exchanging 73 units, PanJam Investment rose $2 to $68 with the swapping of 19,468 stock units, Proven Investments climbed 71 cents to $33.91 trading 84,673 units. Sagicor Group shed 60 cents to $50.50 in switching ownership of 131,285 stock units. Salada Foods fell 50 cents to $44 with an exchange of 1,700 stocks, Scotia Group climbed $2.99 to $43 trading 565,293 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 64 cents to close at $15.31 in exchanging 11,850 units and Wisynco Group fell 33 cents to $15.90 and finishing trading of 133,175 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
