Main Market stocks ended trading with another day of substantial gains on Tuesday, after the market reopened from the closure for the Easter holidays and enjoyed seven consecutive days without losses with the market has recovered 67,814.67 points or 18 percent since the March 25 low of 375,091.09.
At the close, the Jamaica Stock Exchange All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 5,537.88 points to 442,905.76, the JSE Market Index added 5,330.56 points to 403,689.68 and the JSE Financial Index gained 1.28 points to 109.34.The market closed with 53 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 22 stocks advancing, ten declining and 21 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 46 securities accounting for 21,215,763 units valued at $102,509,485, in contrast to 37,271,624 units valued at $443,203,847 from 41 securities on Thursday.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 11.7 million shares for 55 percent of the day’s total volume followed Pulse Investments with 2.03 million units for 9.6 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Windfarm with 1.9 million units for 9 percent of the market’s volume. Other stocks trading more than one million shares were Carreras with 1.04 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.4 million units.
The Market closed with an average of 461,212 units valued at $2,228,467 for each security traded, in contrast to 909,064 units valued at an average of $10,809,850 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 728,184 units valued at $4,031,021 for each security changing hands, compared to 765,512 units valued at $4,319,932 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.6, while the Main Market ended at 15 times 2020/21 earnings.
In the Main Market activity, Berger Paints gained $1.85 to close at $14, in trading 1,101 stock units, Caribbean Cement advanced $5.50 to $48, with 43,801 units changing hands, Eppley shed 75 cents exchanging 90,600 shares to finish at $17. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund closed $2.67 higher at $36, in swapping a mere ten stock units, First Rock Capital rose 50 cents to $11, with an exchange of 24,754 units. Jamaica Producers lost 35 cents transferring 9,128 shares and closed at $20.15, Jamaica Stock Exchange ended $2.39 higher at $24.74, after swapping 16,514 units, JMMB Group closed at $39, with gains of $1 exchanging 73,496 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy soared $44 to $184, with 375 stock units crossing the exchange, 138 Student Living added 30 cents to reach $7, in transferring 52,564 units, Proven Investments fell $3.95 to $34.05, in swapping 185,350 shares. Sagicor Group closed $2.50 higher to $53.50, in an exchange of 60,754 units, Scotia Group gained 35 cents to finish at $47.95 after trading 20,574 stock units, Seprod declined by $2 to $47, with 101,771 shares changing hands. Supreme Ventures rose $1.99 to $18.99, in transferring 65,409 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 40 cents trading 153,409 shares and closed at $17.60 and Wisynco Group added 49 cents to end at $19.49, with 336,917 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the day’s last transaction unless otherwise stated.