The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange rallied on the final day of the week, wiping out less than 1,500 points of the losses on the previous seven trading days as advancing stocks were outnumbered by decliners, on Friday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,331.58 points to close at 418,817, the JSE Market Index gained 1,205.42 points to close at 381,593.65 and the JSE Financial Index added 0.55 points to 103.52.
The market closed with 45 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 11 stocks advancing, 22 declining and ten securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 38 securities accounting for 15,595,657 units valued at $80,717,216, in contrast to 17,977,989 units valued at $167,027,485 from 43 securities on Wednesday.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 11.3 million shares for 63 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Group with 2.3 million units for 13 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Windfarm with 1.1 million units for 6 percent market share.
The Market closed with an average of 410,412 units valued at $2,124,137 for each security traded, in contrast to 418,093 units valued at $3,884,360 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 1,025,936 units valued at $3,731,907 for each security changing hands, compared to 1,060,899 units valued at $3,829,348 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven securities closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.1, while the Main Market ended at 14.3 times 2020-21 earnings.
In the Main Market, Eppley fell 99 cents to $14.50, in trading 941 stock units, First Rock Capital added $1, in transferring 1,500 units and closed at $12, Grace Kennedy rose $1 and ended at $58, with 29,077 units changing hands. Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 37 cents to end at $20.63 after 11,170 shares passed through the market, JMMB Group dropped $1.44 and closed at $36, after exchanging 213,331 stock units, Mayberry Investments gained 32 cents trading 22,096 stock units and closed at $5.55.NCB Financial Group rose $2 to end at $152, with 47,023 units changing hands, PanJam Investment traded 1,465 and fell $2.35 to close at $77.35, Proven Investments jumped $2.79 to close at $38.79 after 9,478 shares changed hands. Pulse Investments lost 35 cents in exchanging 3,858,682 stock units at $2.05, Salada Foods dropped $2.90 to $26, in exchanging 5,901 units. Sagicor Group traded 38,531 and lost 38 cents to end at $49.37 and Scotia Group rose $2 after transferring 21,667 stock units to finish at $47.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.