Trading was halted in five Junior Market stocks this morning as a result of the stock exchange circuit breaker although, all are halted at prices they frequently traded at in recent weeks.
Caribbean Assurance Brokers was frozen at $2.95, the stock traded at that price on Monday, Consolidated Bakeries was frozen at $1.53, iCreate is frozen as the price dropped to 75 cents, Jetcon Corporation freeze took place at $1.08 and KLE Group at $2.30 from $3.10 on Monday but it traded as low as $2 on the 25th of the month. None of the stocks traded outside the recent range, so what is the Stock Exchange preventing these stocks and many others from trading freely as there is no information that is not already known to the market.
Leaders are supposed to lead as such when things they control is no longer meaningful, they should adjust them, the leaders at the helm of the Jamaica Stock Exchange don’t seem to get it.
Stock exchanges are markets that allow companies to raise capital and owners of shares to give a reasonable view that if they want to sell their stock there is an organised market to do so. Today’s modern stock markets are listed companies and the frequency of trading allows them to make money.
Some years ago, in response to the global market sharp decline, several stock exchanges put in place a circuit breaker rule that resulted in a halt to trading if a stock or the market moved too fast in a session. The JSE put one in place and modified it a few years ago. The rule has not done anything to protect investors since its introduction. In fact, it made investors worse off as they are prevented for traded stocks during the hour of halting of trading that takes place.
Abolish the useless circuit breaker rule
November 30, 2021 by