The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market had a big hit on Friday as declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones, 2 to 1 as investors marked prices of several stocks sharply down leading to a fall of more than 5,000 points in the all Jamaica composite Index.
At the close, the All Jamaica Composite Index plunged 5,207.13 points to close at 254,236.40, the JSE Market Index dived 4,744.29 points to 231,638.15 and the JSE US dollar market index gained 2.61 points to close at 175.65.
At the close of trading, 27 securities changed hands in the main market, with 1 trading in the US dollar market, and 1 in bond market. Activity led to 7 stocks advancing and 13 declining. The main market ended with 3,946,660 units valued at $78,337,785 changing hands compared to 1,498,592 units valued at $27,780,303 at the close on Thursday. Trading in the US dollar market accounted for 832,819 units valued at US$188,222 bringing the total trade in all the markets to J$320,285,532.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading in the main and US dollar markets, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 4 stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and 1 with a lower offer.
The main market ended trading with an average of 146,173 units valued at $2,901,399 for each security traded compared to an average of 59,944 units valued at $1,111,212. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 134,528 units with an average value of $3,095,516 compared with an average of 131,617 units with an average value of $3,144,045 on the previous trading day. The average volume and value for June ended at 218,951 units with an average value of $3,871,959.
In market activity, Berger Paints closed at $14.80, losing $1.90 in trading 2,182 shares, Cable and Wireless lost 5 cents and closed at $1.05, with 588,717 stock units switching owners, Caribbean Cement traded 30 cents lower to close at $27.50 in exchanging 2,927 shares, Carreras traded $1 lower after closing at $88 with 3,396 shares changing hands. Grace Kennedy closed at $41.99, losing 1 cent in trading 39,817 units. Jamaica Broilers exchanged 2,000 shares at $18, Jamaica Producers lost 56 cents to close at $14.45, with 12,939 shares switching owners. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $6.40 trading 28,978 shares, JMMB Group closed at $18.60, with a loss of 90 cents in exchanging 18,126 units, Kingston Properties traded 2,569 units at $8, Kingston Wharves closed at $30.50, with gains of 50 cents from the trading of 6,400 shares, Mayberry Investments gained 14 cents to close at $4.69, with 15,113 shares changing hands. NCB Financial Group rose 50 cents and closed at $70.50, after exchanging 6,291 shares, 1834 Investments lost 3 cents in closing at $1.32 with 14,400 shares traded, PanJam Investment gained 15 cents to close at $34.25, with 355,285 units changing hands, Portland JSX exchanged 1,000 units at $10.01, Proven Investments traded 1,387,365 shares at $24.01, Pulse Investments lost 50 cents to close at $3, with 37,114 shares changing hands, Radio Jamaica shed 10 cents lower to close at $1.50 with 100,638 shares trading. Sagicor Group closed at $30, with a loss of $3 trading 10,436 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund traded 1,800 units at $12.24, Scotia Group traded $1 lower, to end at $42 with an exchange of 617,719 shares, Scotia Investments traded 11,395 shares ad closed at $36.01, Sterling Investments closed at $14.05, with a loss of $1.45 and 2,000 shares changing ownership while Supreme Ventures gained 50 cents to close at $7.50 and with an exchange of 5,500 shares. Proven Investments US ordinary shares closed at 22 US cents in trading 832,819 units, JMMB 7.5% preference share gained 15 cents to close at $2 in exchanging 671,301 units, JMMB Group7.25% preference share rose 6 cents, closing at an 52 weeks’ high of $1.55, with 1,252 units changing hands and ISP Finance bond traded 207,000 units at $1.