Stocks raced 2.949 points shortly after opening, with All Jamaican Composite Index hitting 452,005.57 on Monday, but some amount of selling, later on, pushed the market down for the day, with the declining stocks outnumbering those rising, after 28 percent less funds went after stocks than on Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index fell 1,335.19 points to 447,721.13, the Main Index dropped 4,869.78 points to 424,662.52 and the JSE Financial Index shed 1.85 points to settle at 106.69.
Trading ended with 51 securities compared to 47 on Friday and closed with 14 stocks rising, 23 declining and 14 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio, based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2021-22 earnings, averages 16.2.
The market closed with 10,081,649 shares trading for $68,340,342 compared to 9,057,061 units at $95,375,441 on Friday. Sagicor Select Financial Fund was the lead trade accounting for 26.3 percent of total volume, with 2.65 million shares, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 17.7 percent for 1.79 million units, Transjamaican Highway carved out 17.5 percent, with 1.76 million units and QWI Investments 10 percent, with 1.05 million units changing hands.
Trading averaged 197,679 units at $1,340,007, compared to 192,703 shares at $2,029,265 on Friday. Month to date trading averages 330,371 units at $3,975,781, in contrast to 357,658 units at $4,517,815 on Friday. April averaged 234,200 units at $1,772,561.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, Barita Investments shed 60 cents to $86 after an exchange of 26,212 shares, Berger Paints slipped 79 cents to close at $12.71 in switching ownership of 518 units, Caribbean Cement lost 22 cents to end at $89.98 with a transfer of 15,291 shares. Eppley fell 30 cents to $34.20 with 24,628 stocks changing hands, Grace Kennedy rose 55 cents to close at $89, after trading 105,257 stock units, Jamaica Broilers advanced $2.98 to $33 after clearing the market with 332,852 shares, Jamaica Producers fell $1.50 to $26 in the swapping 32,469 stock units. Mayberry Investments gained 44 cents to close at $5.95 while trading 40,044 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy declined $3 to end at 52 weeks’ low of $125 in switching ownership of 839 units, Palace Amusement dropped $52 to $856 in exchanging 93 stock units. Pan Jam Investment shed 50 cents and ended at $64 with 12,386 shares changing hands, Proven Investments lost 58 cents in closing at $38.20 in transferring 36,735 units, Pulse Investments rose 24 cents to close at $4.65 with 341,070 shares crossing the market, Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund advanced 8 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $1 while exchanging 221,761 units. Salada Foods dipped 30 cents to close at $9, trading 144,058 stock units, Scotia Group fell $1.29 to $40.51 in exchanging 61,843 shares, Seprod declined $4 to close at $71 after 17,111 units crossed the exchange. Supreme Ventures shed 49 cents to settle at $17.31 after an exchange of 136,667 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 29 cents to end at $14.89 with 34,847 units changing hands.
In the preference segment, Eppley 8.75% preference share shed 99 cents at $6.51 with the swapping of 585 stocks and Eppley 7.5% preference shares advanced $1.40 to a 52 weeks’ high of $10.75 in an exchange of 50 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.