Stocks pushed lower on Monday

After the close of the market or the Independence holiday on Friday, trading resumed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, with 54 percent more stocks changing hands, with an exchange of 7 percent more funds passing through the market and resulted in a spirited decline in the market indices.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,947.10 points to 457,185.51, the Main Index dived 3,831.32 points to 417,900.98 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 1.06 points to end at 102.45.
Trading ended with 50 securities compared to 49 on Thursday, with 16 stocks rising, 21 declining and 13 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio averages 16.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 9,969,713 shares trading for $73,681,632 versus 6,485,437 units at $73,527,010 on Thursday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 36.4 percent of total volume after an exchange of 3.63 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund 13.6 percent with 1.35 million units and Transjamaican Highway 11.5 percent with 1.14 million shares, QWI Investments controlled 10.2 percent of the market, with 1.02 million units changing hands.
Trading averaged 199,394 units at $1,473,633, compared to 132,356 shares at $1,500,551 on Thursday. Trading month to date, averages 153,737 units at $1,493,790, in contrast to 138,207 units at $1,500,646 on Thursday. Trading for July averages 322,932 units at $15,201,099.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints fell $1.04 to $12.70 after exchanging 200 shares, Eppley spiked 72 cents to $39 in an exchange of 1,254 units, First Rock Capital fell 32 cents to end at $14.05 in exchanging 292 stock units. GraceKennedy popped $6.25 to $104, with 228,414 shares crossing the market, Guardian Holdings shed $10 to $630 with the swapping of 10,588 stocks, Jamaica Producers declined $1 in closing at $22 trading 3,769 stock units. JMMB Group rallied 28 cents to close at $37.78, with 163,033 shares clearing the market, Kingston Wharves lost $1 to end at $48 while exchanging 2,388 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities dropped 47 cents to $8.50 after trading 8,501 units, NCB Financial Group shed $6.29 to close at $131.21 after an exchange of 82,261 stock units. 138 Student Living rallied 65 cents to $5.10, with 64,807 shares changing hands, Palace Amusement dropped $28.24 to $1033.76, with an exchange of 8 stocks, Pulse Investments rose 21 cents in closing at $3.96 trading 214,612 stock units. Sagicor Group popped 55 cents to $58.50 in exchanging 7,219 shares, Salada Foods gained 20 cents ending at $8, with 5,912 stocks crossing the market. Scotia Group fell 20 cents to $39.30 in switching ownership of 202,916 stock units, Seprod dropped 98 cents to $69.02, with 1,945 units crossing the market, Stanley Motta spiked 69 cents to $5.99 after 4,878 stocks crossed the exchange and Sygnus Credit Investments rallied 72 cents to $15, with 73,359 shares changing hands.
In the preference segment Community & Workers Credit Union climbed 21 cents to $1.68, with 41 units crossing the exchange, Eppley 8.75% preference shares lost 18 cents ending at $7.30 in trading 200 stocks, JMMB Group 7.25% advanced 35 cents to close at $2.67 with the swapping of 14 units and JMMB Group 7.50% slipped 15 cents to 75 cents after exchanging 421,088 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.