Sagicor Select Manufacturing and Distribution Fund dominated the volume traded on Friday, accounting for an 871 percent rise in the number of shares traded, with the value jumping 363 percent higher than on Thursday, on a day when declining stocks beat out rising ones two to one on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,817.92 points to 454,375.81, the JSE Main Index gained 754.27 points to end at 422,066.55 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.44 points to settle at 104.74.
At the close, 49 securities traded, compared to 48 on Thursday, with 13 stocks rising, 28 declining and eight ended unchanged. The PE Ratio ended with an average of 16.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 119,750,700 shares trading for $599,497,233 versus 12,330,202 units at $129,542,064 on Thursday. Sagicor Select Manufacturing and Distribution Fund accounted for 89.8 percent of total volume, with 107.57 million shares, followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 2.9 percent for 3.49 million units, Transjamaican Highway with 2.2 percent for 2.58 million and NCB Financial Group with 1.7 percent for 2.13 million units changing hands.
Trading averages 2,443,892 stock units at $12,234,637 versus 256,879 shares at $2,698,793 on Thursday. Trading for the month to date averages 436,367 units at $4,623,132, in contrast to 326,458 units at $4,206,413 on Thursday. Trading in April ended with an average of 234,200 units at $1,772,561.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints advanced $1.80 to $16 with the swapping of 3,852 stocks, Carreras lost 25 cents to end at $10.25 with 87,730 stock units crossing the exchange, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund fell $2 to $42 after a transfer of 100 units, First Rock Capital gained 20 cents to settle at $16.39 with 16,146 stocks clearing the market. Grace Kennedy ended 59 cents lower at $88.41 with 36,654 units crossing the market, Guardian Holdings dropped $7 in closing at $763 in trading 192,040 stocks, Jamaica Broilers slipped 35 cents to $34 in transferring 249,442 shares. Jamaica Producers fell 20 cents to end at $24 after an exchange of 14,192 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange declined 90 cents to finish at $17 with 141,930 units changing hands, JMMB Group rose 48 cents to $32.48 in transferring 96,740 shares. Kingston Wharves lost 30 cents to close at $46.20 with an exchange of 13,784 shares. Margaritaville slid 75 cents to $14.25 in switching ownership of 7,698 units, PanJam Investment rose 95 cents to close at $67 in transferring 6,393 stocks. Pulse Investments gained 44 cents to end at $4.80 with 706,754 units crossing the market, Sagicor Group rose 74 cents to close at $52.75 in switching ownership of 12,435 stocks, Seprod advanced $1.49 to $75 after clearing the market with 27,751 shares, Sterling Investments shed 30 cents to close at $3 with an exchange of 94,051 stocks, Victoria Mutual Investments declined 5 cents to close at $6.96 after trading 137,328 stock units and Wisynco Group rose 65 cents to $15.75 with 28,000 shares changing hands.
In the preference segment, Community & Workers Credit Union preference share shed 21 cents to close at $1.69 in trading 119,727 units. Eppley 7.5% preference shares declined $3.81 to end at $7.19 with 548 units changing hands and Eppley 8.25% lost 19 cents to close at $6.80, trading 2,024 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.