The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended trading on Wednesday with the market declining after more stocks fell than rose as investors exchanged 51 percent fewer shares than on Tuesday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index fell by 1,979.75 points to 425,569.16, the Main Index dropped 1,835.84 points to 388,248.59 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.54 points to 98.79.
Trading ended with 47 active securities, up from 45 on Tuesday and closed with prices of 16 stocks rising, 18 declining and 13 closing unchanged. The PE Ratio closed with an average of 16.7 based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with trading of 9,831,136 shares for $72,026,838 compared to 19,931,036 units at $67,469,926 on Tuesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 22 percent of total volume, after exchanging 2.16 million shares followed by Pulse Investments with 18.9 percent for 1.86 million units. QWI Investments ended with 14.7 percent for 1.45 million units after trading at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of 99 cents and Transjamaican Highway with 11.8 percent of the day’s trade for 1.16 million units.
Trading for the day averaged 209,173 units at $1,532,486, compared to 442,912 shares at $1,499,332 on Tuesday. 
The month to date averaged 498,459 units at $2,982,324 or each security, in contrast to 649,530 units at $3,739,461 on the prior trading day. Trading in January averaged 311,275 units at $1,432, 133.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Eppley shed 63 cents to end at $22.12, in exchanging 1,337 shares, First Rock Capital gained 51 cents to close at $13.21, with 24,949 units crossing the exchange, Grace Kennedy slipped 31 cents to $74.60 trading 116,636 shares, having traded at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $77.47. Jamaica Broilers fell by $4 to $26, with 892,635 stock units changing hands, Jamaica Producers gained 40 cents to close at $20, with 1,285 stocks crossing the market, Jamaica Stock Exchange advanced by $1.80 to $19, in switching ownership of 22,367 stock units. JMMB Group fell $1.60 to $32, with an exchange of 116,860 units, Kingston Wharves rose $1.20 to $46.50, in trading 3,234 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities advanced by $1.08 to $7.50, in exchanging 72,000 stock units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy finished $8 lower at $137 trading 12 shares, NCB Financial Group rose $1 to $137, with 7,146 shares changing hands, Palace Amusement dropped $200 to end at 52 weeks’ low of $850, after an exchange of 24 shares.
Pan Jam Investment fell by $1 to $64, in switching ownership of 821 units, Pulse Investments lost 28 cents at $4.70, with an exchange of 1,857,207 stock units, Sagicor Group declined by $3 to $49, with 61,577 shares crossing the market. Sagicor Real Estate Fund gained 25 cents to close at $8.25, with a transfer of 3,826 stocks. Salada Foods advanced by $5.75 to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $42.75, in switching ownership of 17,465 units. Seprod climbed $2.98 to $73.50, with an exchange of 9,932 units, Stanley Motta gained 29 cents to end at $5.35 trading 1,000 shares and Wisynco Group rose 30 cents to $16.55, with the swapping of 521,881 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with 17 securities changing hands, down from 19 on Tuesday, with five stocks rising, six declining and six remaining unchanged. The Composite Index lost 1.68 points to settle at 1,322.03, the All T&T Index dropped 0.81 points to settle at 1,765.02, and the Cross Listed Index shed 1.73 points to settle at 93.59.
National Enterprises rose 20 cents to $3.20 with 921 stocks clearing the market. NCB Financial Group dropped 5 cents to $8.25 in exchanging 12,300 stocks, Republic Financial Holdings climbed $1.01 to $136 in an exchange of 11,465 shares, Scotiabank closed at $56.99 with an exchange of 989 stocks. Trinidad & Tobago NGL closed at $15.94 after exchanging 30 stock units, Trinidad Cement stayed at $3.75 in trading 5,030 shares, Unilever Caribbean closed at $16.50 in exchanging 1,000 stocks. West Indian Tobacco lost 36 cents to close at $35.02, with 728 stocks changing hands and Clico Investment Fund fell 10 cents to close at $25.40 trading 17,550 stock units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 4,248.43 points to 427,548.91 the Main Index climbed 3,864.20 points to 390,084.43 and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.84 points to settle at 99.33.
Trading for the day averaged 442,912 units at $1,499,332 for each security, down from 856,148 shares at $5,979,591 on Monday. The month to date averaged 649,530 units at $3,739,461. Trading in January averaged 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Pulse Investments picked up 38 cents to end at $4.98, after an exchange of 3,233,145 shares, Salada Foods fell $1 to $37, with 48,187 shares changing hands, Scotia Group gained 78 cents to close at $43.78 in trading 7,334 stock units. Seprod jumped $6.52 to a record closing high of $70.52 after 3,980 shares crossed the market after trading at a record high of $83.99 earlier in the trading session and Supreme Ventures ended 30 cents lower at $16.70, in transferring 13,037 stocks.
National Flour Mills fell 14 cents to $2.36, with 14,820 units crossing the market, NCB Financial Group ended at $8.30 after exchanging 37,976 units, One Caribbean Media remained at $4.85, with 4,625 shares crossing the exchange. Prestige Holdings fell 59 cents to $7.01, with 2,831 stock units clearing the market, Republic Financial Holdings fell 1 cent to $134.99, after 46,934 stock units crossed the market, Scotiabank slipped 1 cent to $56.99 trading 163 units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL gained 67 cents to end at $15.94 with 25,846 stock units changing hands, Trinidad Cement settled at $3.75 while exchanging 52,747 shares and Unilever Caribbean shed 14 cents to close at 52 weeks’ low of $16.50 after trading 4,846 stock units.
Trading ended with 45 securities changing hands compared to 44 on Friday and closed with rising stocks outnumbered declining ones by 62 percent leaving prices of 12 stocks rising, 28 declining and five remaining unchanged. Ciboney traded at a 52 weeks’ high of 26 cents and Palace Amusement fell to a 52 weeks’ low of $950.
Trading for the day averaged 856,148 units at $5,979,591 for each security, compared to an average of 272,282 shares at $4,886,953 on Friday. Trading in January with an average of 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Salada Foods rose $1 to close at $38, in exchanging 42,886 stock units, Scotia Group shed 79 cents to finish at $43, with 24,748 shares changing hands. Seprod gained 50 cents to settle at $64 after 6,678 stock units crossed the market, Supreme Ventures lost 49 cents to end at $17 trading 38,797 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments slipped 30 cents to $15.70, after transferring 85,391 shares.
Massy Holdings closed at $61 after trading 19,398 units, One Caribbean Media remained at $4.85, with 1,000 shares changing hands, Point Lisas fell 14 cents to end at $3.01 after 200 units crossing the market. Prestige Holdings shed 39 cents to end at $7.60 in exchanging 301 shares, Republic Financial Holdings lost $1.15 to close at $135 after trading 76 units Scotiabank settled at $57 in switching ownership of 1,439 stock units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL remained at $15.27 in an exchange of 5,138 shares, Trinidad Cement remained at $3.75 with the swapping of 40,053 shares, Unilever Caribbean remained at $16.64 with 133 stocks changing hands and West Indian Tobacco lost 2 cents to end at $35.38 with an exchange of 1,638 units.
While the Junior Market had a new addition, the Main Market TOP10 continued with the same stocks as the week before but Grace Kennedy price rose from $68 to $73.45 with the stock moving from 5th spot to 7th.
In this regard, based on 2020 release of results, interim financials are expected this week, from Access Financial, Barita Investments, Iron Rock Insurance, NCB Financial, the Lasco group of companies and Jamaican Teas.
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20 based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, indicating strong gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 18.9 and the Junior Market 14.8, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 7.8 at just 53 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9.1 or 48 percent of the PE of that market.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to March 2021 and ranked in order of potential gains, based on likely gain for each company, taking into account the earnings and PE ratios for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate and result in movements in and out of the lists weekly. Revisions to earnings per share are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
The market closed with 11,980,396 shares, 30 percent more than Thursday and 168 percent more in value at $215,025,944, up from 9,368,496 units at $83,242,802 on Thursday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 2,827.24 points to 425,254.53, the JSE Main Index rose 2,558.50 to 387,937.83 and the JSE Financial Index added 0.56 points to close at 99.32.
Pan Jam Investment declined by $3 to $67, with 134,726 stocks crossing the market, Sagicor Group advanced by $3.01 to $52 after trading 598,948 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell 95 cents to $8 in exchanging 19,000 shares. Salada Foods climbed $3 to $37, in swapping of 80,784 units, Scotia Group rose 79 cents to close at $43.79, in an exchange of 28,402 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 30 cents in closing at $16, with 34,889 units crossing the market and Victoria Mutual Investments lost 30 cents to end at $5.55, with the swapping of 62,867 stocks.
Massy Holdings climbed 55 cents to $61 in exchanging 1,750 units, National Flour Mills remained at $2.50 after trading 38,500 shares, NCB Financial Group shed 20 cents to end at $8.30 in an exchange of 21,475 stocks. One Caribbean Media closed at $4.85 in an exchange of 48,870 stock units, Republic Financial Holdings rose 15 cents to $136.15 in exchanging 1,151 stocks, Scotiabank stayed at $57 trading 6,919 stock units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL declined 2 cents $15.27 with the swapping of 2,976 stocks and Unilever Caribbean shed 6 cents to end at $16.64 in trading 420 units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 3,030.64 points to 422,427.29, the Main Index advanced by 2,742.58 points to 385,379.33 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.83 points to settle at 98.76.
Trading for the day averaged 234,212 units at $2,081,070 for each security, compared to an average of 135,516 shares at $991,633 on Wednesday. The month to date averaged 313,511 units at $1,254,396, in contrast to 317,481 units at $1,213,011 on Wednesday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Salada Foods rose $1 to end at $34, with 130,075 shares changing hands, Scotia Group gained 50 cents to end at $43 trading 47,495 stock units and Wisynco Group rose 50 cents to $16.50, with an exchange of 190,585 stocks.