Stocks moved mostly higher at the close of trading on Thursday as funds chasing stocks climbed 64 percent over Wednesday and leading the main indices higher after 30 percent fewer shares were exchanged than on Wednesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,755.38 points to 435,166.46, the Main Index gained 1,609.90 points to 396,833.17, but the JSE Financial Index lost 0.17 points to settle at 99.90.
Investors traded 47 securities, up from 40 on Wednesday and closed with 20 rising, 17 declining and 10 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio averages 19.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Traders exchanged 11,391,248 shares for $97,106,816 versus 16,449,582 units at $59,313,530 on Wednesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 28.8 percent of total volume, after exchanging 3.28 million shares followed by Transjamaican Highway with 25.2 percent for 2.88 million units, Sterling Investments 14.4 percent. with 1.64 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 12.5 percent for an exchange of 1.42 million units.
Trading for the day averaged 242,367 units at $2,066,102, compared to 411,240 shares at $1,482,838 on Wednesday. Month to date trading averaged 328,734 units at $1,776,771, in contrast to 358,582 units at $1,676,782 on Wednesday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows twelve stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints rose 65 cents to $14.10 trading 200 shares, Caribbean Cement lost 20 cents to $67 after exchanging 39,426 units, Carreras gained 27 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $8, with a transfer of 105,183 stock units. Eppley fell $1.70 to $26.50, with the swapping of 19,020 units, First Rock Capital finished 75 cents higher at $16, with 55,350 units crossing the market, Grace Kennedy slipped 98 cents to $90 trading 25,817 stocks. Jamaica Broilers fell 34 cents to $28.40 with 199,980 shares clearing the market, Jamaica Producers slipped 30 cents to $19.70, after an exchange of 51,994 units. Mayberry Investments gained 22 cents to $5.51, with 54,469 shares changing hands. Mayberry Jamaican Equities declined 99 cents to $7.01 after switching ownership of 4,300 stocks, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $4 to $154 after exchanging 21 shares, NCB Financial advanced $3.21 to $144.21 transferring 231,896 units. 138 Student Living gained 40 cents to end at $6, with 52 shares changing hands, PanJam Investment rose $1.90 to $66 in exchanging 31,927 stock units, Proven Investments dropped $5.80 to $33.20 trading 24,484 shares. 
Sagicor Group shed 80 cents to $51.10 with the swapping of 74,129 stock units, Salada Foods rose $5.99 to $44.50 in an exchange of 38 units. Scotia Group fell $2.49 to end at $40.01 trading 40,887 shares, Seprod declined $1.77 to $68.23 in a transfer of 74,108 stock units, Sterling Investments lost 23 cents to end at $2.77 in exchanging 1,643,311 units. Supreme Ventures rose 95 cents to $15.95 trading 36,943 shares and Wisynco Group gained 23 cents to $16.23, with 25,585 units changing hands.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share shed 90 cents in closing at $4.20 trading 800 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 2,201.29 points to 433,411.08, the Main Index dropped 1,957.22 points to 395,223.27 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.51 points to settle at 100.07.
Trading averaged 411,240 units at $1,482,838 for each security, compared to an average of 303,306 shares at $1,419,986 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averaged 358,582 units at $1,676,782 for each security, in contrast to 336,641 units at $1,757,591 on Tuesday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
NCB Financial declined $1 to $141, with 53,913 stock units crossing the market, Palace Amusement dropped $67.03 to $885, with 210 units changing hands, PanJam Investment finished 90 cents lower at $64.10 trading 8,674 stock units. Proven Investments advanced $1.75 to $39, with an exchange of 35,591 stocks, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 43 cents to $8.35 with the swapping of 15,997 shares, Salada Foods declined $2.99 to $38.51 with 8,295 units clearing the market. Stanley Motta gained 34 cents to close at $5.35 after exchanging 212 units and Supreme Ventures fell $1.20 to $15 in transferring 90,750 stocks.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 1,342.33 points to 435,612.37, the Main Index shed 1,189.08 points to 397,180.49, and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.23 points to settle at 100.58.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
Portland JSX shed $1.40 to close at $7.10 in transferring 6,500 stocks, Proven Investments fell $2.15 to $37.25, after an exchange of 26,284 units, Sagicor Group advanced $1.90 to $52, with 20,712 stocks clearing the market. Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell $1.07 to $7.92 in a transfer of 379 stocks, Salada Foods rose 50 cents to $41.50 after trading 9,418 stocks. Scotia Group climbed $1.50 to $42.50, with 34,379 shares changing hands, Seprod gained 50 cents to end at $70 in trading 9,783 stocks and Stanley Motta shed 34 cents to $5.01, with 16,000 stock units crossing the market.
Several stocks posted strong gains leading the market into positive for the year to date, for only the second time since the start of the year, with January 5th being the only other day the market recorded gains over the 2020 close. The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 4,304.98 points to 436,954.70 at the close, the Main Index advanced 3,840.76 points to 398,369.57, but the JSE Financial Index slipped 037 points to 100.35.
Palace Amusement dropped $49 to $801, with 683 shares crossing the market, PanJam Investments rose $1 to $65, in an exchange of 13,660 stocks, Portland JSX ended $1.40 higher at $8.50, with the swapping of 2,000 units, 
For the year, profit after tax surged 70 percent to $3.2 billion after tax provision of $1.2 billion. The tax charge includes deferred tax amounting to $414 million, down from $664 million in 2019. The results would have been far better but for a billion loss in foreign exchange movement, but interest cost fell from $939 million to $812 million, partially cushioning some exchange losses. Interest cost will fall further in 2021 as the debt load recedes with the strong cash flows allowing for the rapid repayment of the $4.4 billion of long term loans.
At the end of the year, shareholders’ equity moved to $11.5 billion from $8.3 billion at the end of 2019. The stock is one of the original 
The market should move higher during the coming week following record breaking results by 
Trading for the day averaged 759,048 units at $2,394,191, Thursday ended with an average of 338,795 shares at $1,351,229. Trading month to date averaged 419,015 units at $2,509,660 for each security, in contrast to 399,667 units at $2,516,231 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund picked up 48 cents to close at $8.30, after 155,883 shares crossed the market, Salada Foods climbed $3.50 to $44, exchanging 97 stocks. Scotia Group lost 50 cents in ending at $42.50 trading 34,852 units, Seprod shed 54 cents to $69, with the swapping of 8,011 shares, Stanley Motta gained 35 cents to settle at $5.35, with 50 units clearing the market. Sterling Investments ended 36 cents higher at $3 in an exchange of 33,207 stock units and Supreme Ventures climbed $1.60 to $16.90 with 138,316 units changing hands.
The All Jamaican Composite Index inched 3.97 points up to 430,240.96 the Main Index rose 15.10 points to 392,402.29, and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.14 points to settle at 99.94.
Trading for the day averaged 338,795 units at $1,351,229, compared to an average of 626,545 shares at $3,374,266 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averages 399,667 units at $2,516,231, versus 403,340 units at $2,586,520 on Wednesday. Trading in January averaged 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Portland JSX declined $1.20 to $7.10 in trading 8,000 stocks, Proven Investments closed $1.20 lower at $36 after exchanging 4,285 units, Sagicor Group gained 29 cents to close at $51.60, with the swapping of 4,089 shares. Salada Foods dropped $1 to $40.50 with a transfer of 2,182 shares, Scotia Group gained 50 cents to end at $43, with 15,411 stock units crossing the exchange. Sterling Investments shed 36 cents to $2.64 in exchanging 62,320 stocks, Supreme Ventures dropped 60 cents to close at $15.30, after a transfer of 527,323 units and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 54 cents to close at $14.95 in trading 14,288 shares.
Trading for the day averaged 626,545 units at $3,374,266, compared to 440,155 shares at $4,160,882 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averaged 403,340 units at $2,586,520 for each security, in contrast to 389,008 units at $2,535,940 on the prior trading day. Trading in January closed with an average of 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Palace Amusement fell $199.90 to a 52 weeks’ low of $800, with 380 stocks crossing the market, Sagicor Group gained 31 cents to end at $51.31, in an exchange of 12,316 stocks, Salada Foods rose $1.51 to $41.50, with the swapping of 4,036 shares. Scotia Group closed 75 cents higher at $42.50, with 267,313 stock units crossing the exchange, Seprod advanced $1.54 to $69.54 trading 26,590 shares, Stanley Motta lost 35 cents to close at $5 in exchanging 31,207 units. Sygnus Credit Investments advanced 99 cents to $15.49 after transferring 70,560 stock units and Wisynco Group rose 90 cents to $16.45, with investors switching ownership of 73,639 shares.
Trading ended with stocks playing hopscotch, one day up one day down, on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, with the market declining after almost the same number of stocks rose as fell. The value of trading climbed 202 percent, with only 23 percent more shares exchanged than on Monday.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 24.1 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 4.88 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund 16.9 percent with 3.41 million units, Wigton Windfarm 11.3 percent for 2.29 million units. QWI Investments ended with 9.8 percent of the day’s trade for 1.99 million units, Ciboney Group 7.1 percent for 1.44 million units, Sagicor Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 6 percent for 1.22 million units and Grace Kennedy with 5.2 percent market share for 1.05 million units.
138 Student Living rose 45 cents to $6.50 after exchanging 8,916 units, PanJam Investment shed 50 cents to end at $65, in switching ownership of 43,014 shares, Proven Investments lost 33 cents to $37.20 trading 11,441 stock units, Sagicor Group fell 70 cents to $51 with 20,215 stocks clearing the market. Salada Foods advanced $2.99 to $39.99, with the swapping of 40,380 units, Scotia Group declined by $1.25 to $41.75, after exchanging 132,995 shares, Seprod shed $1 in closing at $68 with 3,164 stock units changing hands. Sygnus Credit Investments fell $1.10 to $14.50, in exchanging 51,037 units and Wisynco Group shed 95 cents to close at $15.55, with 94,561 shares changing hands.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Seprod climbed $2.15 to $69, with 16,385 stock units changing hands, Stanley Motta lost 25 cents in closing at $5.20 trading 418 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments rose $1.17 to $15.60, in transferring 69,924 stocks.
