Investors pushed the majority of stocks trading on the Main Market Jamaica Stock Exchange, down on Thursday with the market indices squeezing out meager gains at the close on a day when trading volume declined sharply from Wednesday’s high volume trading.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 219.97 points to 415,758.15, the JSE Market Index rose 199.13 points to 379,243.55 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.17 points to close at 98.38. The PE ratio of the market ended at 15, while the Main Market ended at 15.5 times ICInsider.com projected 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 47 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 12 stocks advancing, 23 declining and 12 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 42 securities accounting for 13,491,484 units at $103,617,587, in contrast to 359,330,187 units for $1,020,073,564 from 43 securities on Wednesday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 4.4 million shares for 32.5 percent of total volume followed by Trans Jamaican Highway with 3.5 million units for 26.3 percent of the day’s trade and JMMB Group with 1.1 million units for 8.3 percent market share.
An average of 321,225 shares traded at $2,467,085, for each security on Thursday, in contrast to 8,356,516 units at an average of $23,722,641 on Wednesday. 
The average volume for the month to date ended at 813,827 units at $7,465,362 for each security changing hands, compared to 840,420 units with an average value of $7,750,590. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows fifteen stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five stocks closing with lower offers.
In the Main Market, Barita Investments advanced $1.10 to close at $51.50, in exchanging 165,319 shares, Berger Paints fell by $1.30 to end at $12.20, having swapped 3,936 units, Caribbean Cement dropped $1.47 to $49.50 trading 13,761 stock units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund declined $1.42 and ending at $42.55 exchanging 100 shares, Grace Kennedy shed 50 cents to close at $57.50, with the transfer of 54,856 shares, Jamaica Broilers declined by $1.74 to $28 in the swapping of 28,443 stock units. Jamaica Stock Exchange ended at $20.10, having lost $1.87 and trading 10,420 units, JMMB Group shed 32 cents to settle at $33.01, with 1,082,918 shares changing hands, Key Insurance gained 45 cents after closing at $4.95 in swapping 20,000 shares, Kingston Wharves fell $1.48 to finish at $56.01 trading 5,353 units. 
Mayberry Investments closed 35 cents lower at $5.65 exchanging 220 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities settled at $10, with a loss of 50 cents in transferring 104,953 shares. NCB Financial Group ended at $141.19, after losing $1.81 and exchanging 34,458 stock units, 138 Student Living lost 41 cents to close at $6.31, with 503 units changing hands. Pan Jam Investment declined by $2.20 to end at $73, having swapped 9,414 stock units, Sagicor Group climbed $1 to $47, with 133,260 shares crossing the market, Salada Foods fell by $1 to settle at $29, after 2,216 units crossed the exchange. Scotia Group finished $3.85 lower at $43.65, with a transfer of 53,399 shares, Seprod dropped $1.80 trading7,154 units and closed at $51.20, Victoria Mutual Investments gained 30 cents, ending at $7.90 with an exchange of 219,564 shares and Wisynco Group picked up 66 cents trading940,749 shares to end at $18.23.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The day’s activities resulted in five securities changing hands, with the prices of three rising, one declining and one closing unchanged, resulting in the market index dropping 1.22 points too close at 183.63. The average PE ratio of the market at 13.1 based on IC Insider.com’s 2020 earnings forecast.
The average security trading on Tuesday amounted to 8,356,516 units at $23,722,641, in contrast to 622,587 units at an average of $9,753,453 on Tuesday. For the month to date, an average of 840,420 units traded at $7,750,590 for each security, compared to 400,703 units with an average of $6,759,539. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
Key Insurance rose 50 cents to $4.50, with 200 units changing hands, Kingston Wharves advanced $1.31 to $57.49, in trading 4,056 tock units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities climbed $1.30 to $10.50 after 52,656 shares changed hands. NCB Financial Group closed $2 higher at $143, with 27,698 units crossing the exchange, Palace Amusement lost $300 to ended at $1,600, after investors transferred 304 shares, Sagicor Group climbed $1.20 to $46, in swapping 11,182 units. Salada Foods added $1 to close at $30 trading 400 shares, Scotia Group advanced by $5 to $47.50, with an exchange of 651,703 units and Wisynco Group shed 43 cents to end at $17.57, with 84,048 shares changing hands.
The market closed with the prices of two stocks declining, none advancing and two stocks closing unchanged. Trading pushed investors to exchange 330,908 units at $20,184, in contrast to just 16,076,419 552,258 shares at US$1,552,647 on Tuesday.
Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
Mayberry Jamaican Investments lost 60 cents swapping 85,440 shares to close at $9.20, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy declined by $4 to $170, in exchange of 287 units. NCB Financial Group fell to $141, after losing $2.70 trading 52,823 stock units, Proven Investments closed $1 lower at $33, with a transfer of 45,593 stock units, Sagicor Group ended at $44.80, with a loss of $1.70 swapping 5,391,323 shares. Salada Foods gained 50 cents to close at $29, after exchanging 4,788 units, Scotia Group traded 205,805 shares at $42.50, having lost 80 cents and Sterling Investments picked up 30 cents, ending the day’s trade at $2.45 transferring 10,300 units.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 3,388.85 points to close at 415,051.71, the JSE Market Index advanced 3,133.74 points to 378,597.03 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.92 points to 98.09. The PE ratio of the market ended at 15, while the Main Market finished at 15.4 times ICInsider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings.
The average security traded in May accounted for 475,543 units at $3,077,280 for each security.
Kingston Properties rose 40 cents to end at $6.70, with 412 units changing hands, Mayberry Jamaican Equities closed 70 cents lower at $9.80 exchanging 9,219 units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy jumped by $9 to $174, with 341 units crossing the exchange, NCB Financial Group climbed $4.19 to $143.70, after investors exchanged 29,565 stock units, Proven Investments shed 50 cents to settle at $34, with 5,637 units changing hands. Sagicor Group ended with gains of 50 cents trading 12,659 units and closed at $46.50, Salada Foods declined $2 to finish at $28.50, in transferring 719 units and Wisynco Group gained 41 cents, ending trading at $17.96 with an exchange of 82,286 shares.
At the close of trading, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dived 7,074.36 points to 411,662.86, the JSE Market Index dropped 6,402.83 points up to 375,463.29 and the JSE Financial Index lost 2.57 points to 97.17.
The average volume and value traded for the month to date amount to 406,241 units at $7,008,631, in contrast to 
JMMB Group dropped by 70 cents after ending at $33.30, with 57,156 shares changing hands, Kingston Wharves rose $1.27 to end at $57.27 in trading 616 units, Mayberry Investments advanced 35 cents in ending at $6 after swapping 128,733 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities climbed 90 cents to settle at $10.50 trading 110,500 units, NCB Financial Group lost 52 cents to end at $139.51 trading 158,913 units, Pan Jam Investment advanced by $2 to settle at $75 with 432,418 stock units crossing the exchange. Proven Investments dropped $1.35 to end at $34.50 with a transfer of 22,266 shares, Sagicor Group climbed $1 to $46 after exchanging 27,292 stock units, Salada Foods gained 50 cents in closing at $30.50 trading 7,383 shares and Scotia Group shed $3.41 to close at $43.08 exchanging 112,216 stock units.
The JSE Main Market activity ended with 41 securities accounting for 13,973,559 units valued at $676,293,640, in contrast to 19,992,087 units valued at $1,058,928,831 from 37 securities on Wednesday.
Jamaica Stock Exchange closed with 50,959 shares changing hands after losing 90 cents to close at $22.50, JMMB Group gained 85 cents and ended at $34, with an exchange of 92,797 shares, Kingston Wharves climbed $3 to $56, with 2,238 units crossing the exchange. NCB Financial Group declined by $2.47 and closed at $140.03, having traded 3,887,398 shares, Palace Amusement added $100 to finish at $1,900 in transferring 10 units, PanJam Investment fell $1 to $73, with investors switching ownership of 7,384 units. Proven Investments gained 35 cents to settle at $35.85 while exchanging 6,728 units, Sagicor Group ended with a loss of $1.30 trading 37,214 stock units and closed at $45 and Salada Foods added 50 cents and finished at $30, after swapping 260 units.
The securities trading on Tuesday resulted in an average of 540,327 units for $28,619,698, in contrast to 420,433 units at an average of $2,352,280 at the close, Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 418,319 units at $6,613,270, compared to 409,897 units with an average of $4,965,016 on Tuesday. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
Jamaica Broilers lost $1.40 and ended at $26.60, after transferring 43,707 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange picked up 40 cents in with 3,890 units changing hands and closed at $23.40, JMMB Group finished at $33.15, with a loss of 37 cents after exchanging 31,008 shares. Kingston Wharves fell $4 to $53, with 18,686 stock units crossing the exchange, Mayberry Jamaican Investments closed at $9.50, after shedding 50 cents transferring 55,006 shares, Palace Amusement closed $100 higher at $1,800 trading 68 units. Sagicor Group gained $1.30 to settle at $46.30, with exchanging 6,596 units, Salada Foods closed $2.99 higher at $29.50, in swapping 2,208 units, Scotia Group climbed $2.50 to $46.50, with a transfer of 6,266 units and Seprod advanced by $2.99 to $52.99, in trading 22,244 stock units.
