Market activity ended on Friday with a 25 percent rise in the number of stocks trading with value jumping 125 percent over Thursday’s level leading to a rise in the All Jamaican Composite Index of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index popped 853.62 points to 457,850.00, the JSE Main Index dipped 52.77 points to 419,356.37 and the JSE Financial Index inched 0.08 points higher to 103.25.
Trading ended with 49 securities compared to 52 on Thursday, with 21 stocks rising, 22 declining leaving six unchanged. The PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative stock value, averages 16.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 15,681,808 shares trading for $104,944,658 versus 12,497,532 units at $46,668,151 on Thursday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 34.1 percent of total volume after exchanging 5.34 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund, with 32.2 percent for 5.06 million units and Carreras 3.9 percent, with 610,110 units.
Trading averaged 320,037 units at $2,141,728, compared to 240,337 shares at $897,464 on Thursday. Trading month to date averages 340,903 units at $18,719,581, in contrast to 342,188 units at $19,740,077 on Thursday. June ended with an average of 249,610 units at $3,877,606.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 14 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints shed $1.30 to end at $13.70 in trading 1,713 shares, Caribbean Cement rose 30 cents to close at $92.50 with the swapping of 58,979 shares. Eppley rallied $3.30 to settle at $43 after exchanging 9,860 stocks, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund shed 50 cents to end at $42.50 with a transfer of 1,393 units, GraceKennedy spiked $1.22 to $99.22 with 67,577 stocks crossing the market. Guardian Holdings dropped $14 to $650 after 1,474 stock units crossing the market, Jamaica Broilers shed 48 cents to $36.02 in switching ownership of 117,897 shares, Jamaica Producers declined $2.36 to $21.64 with 25,860 stocks changing hands. Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 34 cents to close at $17.31 in transferring 39,838 stock units, Kingston Wharves rose 44 cents to $49.94 in switching ownership of 5,128 stocks, Margaritaville spiked 77 cents to $15.27 in trading 300 units. Palace Amusement dived $120 to $980 with 102 stocks crossing the exchange, Scotia Group lost 37 cents to $38.75 in trading 126,690 shares, Seprod rallied $1.98 to $69.10 in switching ownership of 90,663 stock units, Sterling Investments gained 20 cents to finish at $3 in exchanging 101,297 units and Supreme Ventures popped 30 cents to close at $19.25 with the swapping of 201,367 shares.
In the corporate bond market, Guardian Holdings 6.5% due 2025 traded 14 million units at $101.28.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.