Trading ended on Wednesday with an equal number of stocks rising and falling leaving the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market Index virtually flat after an exchange of 49 percent fewer shares than on Tuesday with a 31 percent fall in the value.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index shed 8.73 points to settle at 419,396.65, the Main Index slipped 12.43 points to 382,636.75 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.37 points to settle at 97.93.
The number of securities trading remained elevated with 44 changing hands, down from 46 on Tuesday as the market closed with 12 stocks rising, 12 declining and 20 closing unchanged. The PE Ratio closed with an average of 16.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 5,962,706 shares traded for $43,631,865 compared to 11,593,159 units at $63,685,850 on Tuesday. Transjamaican Highway led trading with 41 percent of total volume for 2.45 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 22.7 percent for 1.35 million units and Wigton Windfarm with 9 percent market share, with 533,829 units changing hands.
Trading for the day averaged 135,516 units at $991,633 down from an average of 252,025 shares at $1,384,475 on Tuesday. The month to date averaged 317,481 units at $1,213,011 for each security, in contrast to 328,085 units at $1,225,912 on the prior trading day. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Caribbean Cement climbed $4.99 to $64.99 in trading 19,142 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange shed 50 cents to end at $18.50, after exchanging 18,130 units, JMMB Group fell $1.49 to end at $31.51, with a transfer of 178,666 shares. Mayberry Investments rose 43 cents to $5.83, with the swapping of 1,100 units. Pan Jam Investment advanced by $2 to $68, with 4,690 stocks changing hands, Scotia Group declined $1.50 to end at $42.50 trading 28,644 shares. Supreme Ventures rose 34 cents to close at $17.25 and finishing with an exchange of 31,430 stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments ended 30 cents higher at $16.40, after crossing the market with 10,730 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.