Trading activity pushed the market to trade at levels not seen since early in 2020 as stocks were pushed 10,503 points in less than 30 minutes of the opening, to just over 471,844 points on Thursday, with the market holding on to the bulk of the gains, after more than half the securities trading rose, with the volume of shares exchanged climbing 164 percent and the value 660 percent higher than on Wednesday at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The consolidation of the market from January this year resulted in a wedge formation that set up the market for a big break out that is now happening and led today to one of the biggest gains in the market index since March last year as the All Jamaican Composite Index surged 7,830.58 points to 469,171.84, the JSE Main Index spiked 6,192.88 points to 434,265.91. The JSE Financial Index added 1.96 points to end at 108.15.
A total of 50 securities traded compared to 52 on Wednesday, with 27 stocks rising, 14 declining and nine remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative value of each stock, averages 17.1 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
At the close, 23,420,303 shares traded for $432,056,408 versus 8,879,043 units at $56,815,416 on Wednesday. Sagicor Select Financial Fund dominated trading with 64.4 percent of total volume for 15.07 million shares, followed by Wigton Windfarm 15.8 percent with 3.70 million, and Transjamaican Highway contributed 6.6 percent, after trading 1.53 million units and JMMB Group 7.25% 4.8 percent, with 1.08 million units changing hands.
Trading Thursday averaged 468,406 units at $8,641,128, compared to 170,751 shares at $1,092,604 on Wednesday. Trading for the month to date averages 266,342 units at $4,960,806, versus 249,247 units at $4,649,442 on Wednesday. May ended with an average of 439,937 units at $4,698,961.
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, Barita Investments advanced $1.90 to $83 with 38,712 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cement declined $3.55 to $90.20 in trading 25,435 stocks, Eppley fell $1 to $44, with 817 shares clearing the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund surged $6.95 to $41.95 with the swapping of 113 stock units, First Rock Capital gained 20 cents in ending at $16 in switching ownership of 2,720 stocks. Grace Kennedy advanced $3.66 to a 52 weeks’ closing high of $99.96 trading 76,317 units, Guardian Holdings dropped $6 to finish at $749 after exchanging 508,957 shares, Jamaica Producers popped 95 cents to $24.45 with an exchange of 3,807 shares, JMMB Group ended 71 cents higher at a 52 weeks’ high of $38.50 with the swapping of 125,910 stock units. Kingston Properties rose 73 cents to $11 with 3,929 units crossing the market, Kingston Wharves shed 89 cents to close at $45.61 in exchanging 9,727 stocks, NCB Financial climbed $2.99 to $147.99 with the swapping of 10,462 shares. Palace Amusement spiked $170 to $1,170 in transferring 17 units, Pan Jam Investment advanced $4.65 to close at $69.70 with the swapping of 5,171 stocks, Proven Investments rose $1.88 to $36.88 in switching ownership of 74,184 shares. 
Sagicor Group dropped $4.24 to $53.66 with 25,338 stocks changing hands, Sagicor Real Estate Fund increased 5 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $9.05, trading 21,349 shares. Scotia Group rose $2.02 to $42 after an exchange of 104,968 shares, Seprod fell $1.70 to $72.30 in trading 10,488 units, Sterling Investments gained 20 cents in closing at $3 with a transfer of 21,700 stocks. Sygnus Credit Investments shed 40 cents in ending at $14.79 with 20,430 stock units crossing the exchange and Wisynco Group gained 54 cents to close at $15.95 in switching ownership of 108,466 shares.
In the preference segment, Community & Workers Credit Union lost 22 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.47 with a transfer of 678 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Four securities traded on Thursday, down from six on Wednesday on the JSE USD market, with one stock rising, one declining and two ending unchanged, with the market index rising slightly, after an exchange of 93 percent fewer shares at 90 percent less value than on Wednesday and resulting in an even number of stocks falling and rising.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than its last selling price and three with lower offers.
The average day’s trade is 170,751 units at $1,092,604, compared to 427,653 shares at $3,811,578 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 249,247 units at $4,649,442, in contrast to 256,820 units at $4,992,587 on Tuesday. May ended with an average of 439,937 units at $4,698,961.
Pan Jam Investment fell $1.51 in closing at $65.05 in transferring 24,696 units, Proven Investments dived $1.90 to finish at $35 in an exchange of 345,327 shares, Sagicor Group spiked $5.90 to $57.90 in switching ownership of 58,795 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 70 cents to end at $9 in an exchange of 1,510 stocks, Salada Foods lost 20 cents to settle at $8 with a transfer of 44,470 shares. Seprod rose 99 cents to close at $74, with 9,423 units crossing the exchange, Supreme Ventures ended 72 cents higher at $20.80 after an exchange of 43,256 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 57 cents in closing at $15.19 in trading 121,657 stocks. Transjamaican Highway lost 3 cents to end at 52 weeks’ low of $1.17 with an exchange of 1,604,464 units and Wigton Windfarm dropped 4 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ closing low of 57 cents, after hitting an intraday low of 53 cents, with 4,336,688 units clearing the market.
A total of six securities traded, up from five on Tuesday, one stock rose, two fell and three remained unchanged.
At the close, First Rock Capital ended at 9 US cents with an exchange of 7,352 shares, Proven Investments slipped 0.09 of a cent to 25.9 US cents, trading 155,084 units, Sterling Investments settled at 2 US cents with a transfer of 45,825 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.05 of a cent to 15.25 US cents with 30,029 units traded and Transjamaican Highway lost 0.02 of a cent to end at 0.86 of a US cent with 221,713 stocks crossing the exchange.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,021.82 points to 459,122.82, the JSE Main Index declined 2,454.99 points to end at 426,476.66 and the JSE Financial Index shed 1.04 points to 105.52 after Grace Kennedy traded at an intraday high of $100, while Transjamaica Highway and Wigton Windfarm traded at 52 weeks’ low of 90 cents and 55 cents, respectively.
Trading averages 427,653 shares at $3,811,578, compared to 282,767 units at $5,070,244 on Monday. Trading month to date averages 256,820 units at $4,992,587, in contrast to 238,579 units at $5,118,691 on Monday. May closed with an average of 439,937 units at $4,698,961.
Sagicor Group declined $3 to $52 in transferring 1,091,820 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund shed 69 cents to close at $8.30 after exchanging 75,292 units. Scotia Group shed $1 to end at $40 with the swapping of 426,297 shares. Seprod fell 99 cents to $73.01 in trading 14,521 stock units, Stanley Motta ended 51 cents lower at $5.89 after clearing the market with 6,300 shares, Supreme Ventures fell 92 cents to $20.08 with 97,939 stocks crossing the market and Sygnus Credit Investments shed 44 cents to end at $14.62 in transferring 77,877 stock units.
Five securities traded on Tuesday, similar to Monday, with prices of three stocks rising, one declining and one remaining unchanged. The JSE USD Equity Index rose 0.76 points to close at 198.43.
At the close, First Rock Capital gained 0.3 of a cent to finish at 9 US cents, trading 15,710 shares, Margaritaville rose 0.12 of a cent to 8.15 US cents with an exchange of 2,305 units, Proven Investments remained at 25.99 US cents with 36,850 stock units changing hands. Sterling Investments lost 0.04 of a cent to close at 2 US cents with 386,182 stock units changing hands and Transjamaican Highway added 0.02 of a cent to finish at 0.88 US cents with 52,615 shares crossing the exchange.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator closed with a strong signal of 14 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four closing lower offers, an indication that Tuesday’s trading should see a continuation of the current market rally. At the close of trading, the All Jamaican Composite Index pushed 2,871.41 points higher to 462,144.64 to now sit just above resistance level which now provides support for the market. The JSE Main Index rose 2,511.04 points to end at 428,931.65 and the JSE Financial Index inched 0.91 points higher to 106.56.
Trading ended with a 14 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded, with a 61 percent lower value than Friday, after 13,855,601 shares traded for $248,441,964 versus 12,127,180 units at $631,548,664 on Friday. Mayberry Jamaican Equities led trading with 26 percent of total volume for 3.61 million shares followed by Wigton Windfarm with 13.4 percent after an exchange of 1.85 million units, Transjamaican Highway accounted for 8.7 percent with 1.20 million units traded, Sagicor Select Financial Fund held to 8.6 percent after an exchange of 1.19 million units, Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund pulled out 8.3 percent with 1.15 million units and QWI Investments delivered 8.1 percent after trading 1.12 million units.
Proven Investments shed $1.94 in closing at $35.06, with 44,622 stocks crossing the market, Sagicor Group slipped $2 to $55 with 248,968 shares clearing the market. Salada Foods climbed 45 cents to $8.28 with 113,932 stock units crossing the exchange, Scotia Group jumped $1.44 to $41 in an exchange of 3,994 units, Seprod shed 99 cents to close at $74 with the transfer of 173,855 shares. Sterling Investments dipped 25 cents to $2.80 in switching ownership of 220,000 stock units, Supreme Ventures spiked 50 cents to close at $21 after clearing the market of 336,556 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments ended 24 cents lower at $15.06 in an exchange of 256,748 units.
Trading ended with the JSE USD Equity Index slipping 3.28 points to end at 197.67. The PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative value of stocks, averages 12.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
At the close, First Rock Capital dipped 0.3 of a cent to finish at 8.7 US cents with 11,182 shares traded, Proven Investments rose 0.01 of a cent to close at 25.99 US cents with an exchange of 7,881 units, Sterling Investments fell 0.33 of a cent to 2.04 US cents with a transfer of 175,520 stock units and Transjamaican Highway lost 0.04 of a cent to end at 0.86 of a US cent with 233,904 stocks crossing the exchange.
At the close, the JSE Main Index fell 749.88 points to end at 426,420.61 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.09 points to 105.65.
Trading averaged 247,493 units at $12,888,748, compared to 193,417 shares at $3,594,165 on Thursday. Trading month to date averages 233,635 units at $5,124,111, in contrast to 231,890 units at $4,146,046 on Thursday. May ended with an average of 439,937 units at $4,698,961.
Sagicor Group spiked $3 to $57 after 526,416 shares cleared the market. Scotia Group fell 44 cents to close at $39.56, with 124,591 stocks changing hands. Seprod rose 99 cents to $74.99 after exchanging 57,110 stock units, Supreme Ventures gained 50 cents to close at $20.50 after trading 214,253 units and Wisynco Group shed 55 cents to end at $15.40 with 244,402 stock units changing hands.
At the close, 200 shares of First Rock Capital traded at 9 US cents, Margaritaville shed 0.97 of a cent to close at 8.03 US cents with an exchange of 53,643 stock units, Proven Investments slipped 0.01 of a cent to close at 25.98 US cents while exchanging 8,690 stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.2 of a cent to 15.2 US cents after 20,278 shares crossed the exchange.