A mere 13 stocks recorded gains at the close of trading on Wednesday after investors drove down the prices of 23 stocks and left 11 unchanged, with 47 securities changing hands compared to 48 on Tuesday, with market activity resulted in the number of shares traded popping 68 percent and the value spiking 117 percent higher than on Tuesday on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 994.79 points to 451,670.82, the JSE Main Index lost 199.45 points to end at 420,160.07 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.29 points to settle at 104.48.
The PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative value of each stock, averages 16.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
At the close, 12,077,813 shares traded for $416,350,090 versus 7,206,318 units at $192,089,830 on Tuesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 20.6 percent of total volume after an exchange of 2.49 million shares followed by NCB Financial Group with 14.9 percent from 1.80 million units, Pulse Investments with 13.5 percent after trading 1.64 million units, Sagicor Select Financial Fund accounted for 12.2 percent for 1.48 million units and Mayberry Investments traded 8.9 percent with 1.08 million units.
Trading close with an average of 256,975 units at $8,858,513, compared to 150,132 shares at $4,001,871 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 202,991 units at $6,404,631, in contrast to 150,132 units at $4,001,871 on Tuesday. May closed with an average of 439,937 units at $4,698,961.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 14 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments fell 34 cents to $85.25 with an exchange of 3,061 units, Caribbean Cement dropped $4.29 to $85.71 in exchanging 192,133 shares, Eppley declined $2 to $32 with 20,704 stock units crossing the market. Jamaica Broilers popped $1.50 to $35 in trading 70,249 shares, Jamaica Producers rallied 50 cents to $24.50 with 390,747 stocks changing hands, Margaritaville lost 25 cents to settle at $14 in trading 4,000 units, NCB Financial advanced $3 to $143 in switching ownership of 1,801,051 shares, Palace Amusement spiked $110 to $1,020 after an exchange of 271 units, PanJam Investment raced $3.96 higher to $69.96, with 46,517 stock units changing hands. Proven Investments climbed $1.01 to $35.51 in an exchange of 50,696 stocks, Sagicor Group slipped 33 cents to $52 with 64,684 shares crossing the exchange. 
Scotia Group rose $1.01 to $41 after trading 47,810 stocks, Seprod gained 20 cents to close at $73 with the swapping of 12,488 units, Stanley Motta shed 20 cents to close at $5.80 after exchanging 10,000 shares. Sterling Investments picked up 29 cents to finish at $3.29 in switching ownership of 1,000 units, Supreme Ventures rallied 20 cents to $20 in trading 61,340 shares and Wisynco Group shed 30 cents in ending at $15.20 after an exchange of 121,439 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, 19 traded compared to 20 on Tuesday, with three stocks rising, three declining and 13 remaining unchanged. The Composite Index popped 5.72 points to 1,385.62, the All T$T Index gained 0.76 points to 1,876.45, and the Cross-Listed Index rose 1.54 points to end at 120.57.
JMMB Group lost 6 cents in closing at $1.75 with a transfer of 80,103 stock units, Massy Holdings ended at $69.76 after exchanging 50 units, National Enterprises closed at $3 with the swapping of 3,030 stocks. NCB Financial Group remained at $8.50, trading 291,105 shares, One Caribbean Media was unchanged at $4.80 with 500 stocks clearing the market, Prestige Holdings closed at $6.55 in transferring 1,167 shares. Republic Financial Holdings dipped 5 cents to $134.95 after 19 stock units cleared the market with . Scotiabank ended at $57 after exchanging 23,938 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL closed at $17.50 in trading 6,105 stocks and Unilever Caribbean finished at $16.33 with the swapping of 300 stocks.
Trading ended with five securities changing hands, compared to eight on Tuesday with the prices of one stock rising, two declining and two remaining unchanged.
At the close, First Rock Capital had an exchange of 44,814 shares at 8.99 US cents, Productive Business Solutions had trading of 9 stock units at 80 US cents, Proven Investments lost 0.1 of a cent to end at 25.9 US cents with 21,708 units changing hands. Sterling Investments slipped 0.01 of a cent to 2 US cents with a transfer of 52,000 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.48 of a cent to close at 15.49 US cents with 10,974 shares crossing the exchange.
A total of 38 securities traded, similar to Tuesday, with 16 rising, 13 declining and nine closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors fell 14 cents to end at $4 with 10,382 shares traded, Lasco Financial lost 12 cents to finish at $3.87 with 236,100 units changing hands, after trading at an intraday 52 weeks high of $4.20. Lasco Manufacturing slipped 9 cents to $5.51, with a transfer of 45,005 stocks, Medical Disposables fell 5 cents to $5 with investors switching ownership of 1,000 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies shed 51 cents to close at $7.64 with the 500 shares crossing the exchange.
Overall, 38 securities traded compared to 39 on Monday and ended, with 13 rising, 17 declining and eight closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing rose 8 cents to $5.60 with 580,585 stock units changing hands, Medical Disposables jumped 65 cents to $5.05 with 679 stocks passing through the market. Stationery and Office Supplies gained 15 cents to end at $8.15 with 10,860 units traded and tTech dropped $1.18 to close at $5.07 with 2,600 shares crossing the exchange.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 950.05 points to 452,665.61, the JSE Main Index declined 1,739.04 points to end at 4420,359.52 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.33 points to settle at 104.19.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 13 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
PanJam Investment declined $3.70 to close at $66 in transferring 7,312 units, Proven Investments lost 50 cents to close at $34.50 with 30,721 stock units clearing the market. Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 20 cents ending at $8.50 and exchanging 2,000 shares. Seprod fell $1.30 to end at $72.80, with 55,443 shares crossing the exchange, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 20 cents to close at $15.05 in trading 510,516 stock units and Wisynco Group ended 29 cents lower at $15.50 in an exchange of 92,649 stocks.
Transjamaican Highway was the volume leader accounting for 2.51 million of the 2,508,722 shares traded, with a value of US$28,103 compared to 460,180 units trading at US$70,670 on Monday.
Proven Investments remained at 26 US cents with a transfer of 15,452 stock units, Sterling Investments fell 0.24 of a cent to 2.01 US cents with 82,000 shares traded, Sygnus Credit Investments ended at 15.01 US cents after trading 9,640 stocks and Transjamaican Highway declined by 0.08 of a cent to finish at 0.85 US cents with 2,400,000 units crossing the exchange.
NCB Financial Group close at $8.50 in an exchange of 1,303,500 units, National Enterprises traded 20,281 stock units at $3 after rising 4 cents, National Flour exchanged 218,348 units at $2.30, Republic Financial Holdings closed at $135 after trading 48 stock units, Scotiabank closed at $57, with 16,069 stock units clearing the market, Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost $1 to close at $17.50 after trading 26,322 stock units. Trinidad Cement ended at $3.30, with an exchange of 39 stock units, Unilever Caribbean closed at $16.33 after exchanging 8,297 stocks and West Indian Tobacco lost 1 cent to end at $32.50 after trading 305 shares.
Trading averaged 514,828 units on Monday at $6,289,666, compared to 2,443,892 shares at $12,234,637 on Friday. Trading month to date averages 439,937units at $4,698,961, in contrast to 436,367 units at $4,623,132 on Friday. April closed with an average of 234,200 units at $1,772,561.
Pulse Investments declined 40 cents to $4.40 in swapping 2,634,338 stocks, Sagicor Group slipped 25 cents to end at $52.50 with 2,835,484 stocks clearing the market, Seprod shed 90 cents to close at $74.10 with 13,279 units changing hands. Sygnus Credit Investments ended 25 cents lower at $15.25 in an exchange of 64,490 shares and Victoria Mutual Investments fell 45 cents to $6.51 after 85,621 stocks crossed the market.
Market activity led to 39 securities trading, down from 41 on Friday, with 21 rising, 11 declining and seven closing unchanged.
Trading averaged 354,111 units at $751,806, down from 148,909 at $414,611 on Friday. The month to date averaged 318,089 units at $760,337, compared to 316,141 units at $760,798 on Friday. April closed with an average of 329,241 units at $854,716.
Lumber Depot advanced 10 cents to $3.40 with 155,164 shares passing through the market, Mailpac Group rose 5 cents to $3.76 with 248,853 units changing hands, Medical Disposables shed 60 cents to close at $4.40 with 18,477 stock units traded. SSL Venture gained 8 cents to end at 63 cents with investors swapping 6,366 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 20 cents to $8 with a transfer of 10,501 units and Tropical Battery fell 7 cents to $1.15 with 583,616 shares crossing the exchange.
