Stocks ended the third consecutive day with negative reading after a 149 percent rise in the number of shares trading, but with 57 percent drop in value than on Wednesday at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday.
At the close, the market is down 2.7 percent for the year so far (39 percent annualized) as the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,727.89 points to 421,858.35, the Main Index fell by 1,536.26 points to 384,842.53 and the JSE Financial Index lost 1.21 points to settle at 98.31.
Trading ended with 42 securities changing hands compared to 44 on Wednesday and closed with prices of 18 stocks rising, 15 declining and nine remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio now averages 16.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors traded 25,722,942 shares for $49,768,965 from 10,349,742 units at $116,591,215 on Wednesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 44.2 percent of total volume, with 11.38 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 24.1 percent for 6.21 million units, JMMB Group 7.5% with 11.7 percent for 3.01 million units, QWI Investments ended with 9.3 percent for 2.38 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 3.9 percent for 1.01 million units changing hands.
Trading averaged 612,451 units at $1,184,975, versus 235,221 shares at $2,649,800 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 310,349 units at $1,157,230, in contrast to 288,359 units at $1,155,210 on Wednesday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments shed 50 cents to end at $82, in switching ownership of 22,635 shares, Berger Paints fell by $1.39 to $12.91, with 705 units changing hands. Caribbean Cement climbed $1.50 to close at $63 trading 187 stock units, Eppley settled at $22.01, after losing $1.94 and exchanging 1,300 stocks, Jamaica Broilers rose $1 to $29, in transferring 22,026 shares. Key Insurance rose 45 cents to $6.75, with an exchange of 20,882 stock units, Kingston Wharves gained 30 cents to end at $48.80, after 213 shares crossed the exchange, 138 Student Living rose 44 cents to $4.44, with 100 stock units crossing the market, PanJam Investment declined $3 to $65.50, with a transfer of 72 units. 
Proven Investments finished 40 cents higher at $36.90, in an exchange of 5,239 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund shed 70 cents in closing at $8.25, in clearing the market with 2,042 shares, Scotia Group slipped 30 cents to $44 while exchanging 7,718 stocks. Stanley Motta gained 39 cents to settle at $5.45, in trading 296 stock units, Supreme Ventures rose 50 cents to close at $17.50, with the swapping of 50,071 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments advanced by 99 cents to $18.39, with 5,816 units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell by 1,177.07 points to 423,586.24, the Main Index declined 925.66 points to 386,406.15 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.30 points to close at 99.52.
Trading for the day averaged 235,221 units at $2,649,800, compared to 130,214 shares at $830,150 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averaged 288,359 units at $1,155,210, in contrast to 292,746 units at $1,031,829 on Tuesday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
NCB Financial rose $1 in ending at $139, with the swapping of 25,215 shares, 138 Student Living rose 65 cents to $4, in exchange of 200 units, Pan Jam Investment gained 41 cents to settle at $68.50, after clearing the market with 5,825 units, Sagicor Group lost 75 cents to end at $49.25, with an exchange of 8,531 units. Scotia Group closed at $44.30, with gains of 30 cents after exchanging 12,713 shares, Supreme Ventures rose 35 cents to $17 trading 14,379 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments finished 40 cents higher at $17.40, with the swapping of 74,012 stock units.
JMMB Group dropped 3 cents to close at $1.95, with 2,130 units changing hands, Massy Holdings ended at $60 with the swapping of 70 shares. National Flour Mills remained at $2.60, with 550 stocks crossing the market, One Caribbean Media declined 10 cents to $4.75 in trading 22,500 shares, Point Lisas closed at $3.15 after exchanging 2,000 stock units. Republic Financial Holdings declined 6 cents to $136.76 in trading 9,498 units, Scotiabank remained at $57.50, with 2,781 stock units crossing the exchange, Trinidad & Tobago NGL climbed 25 cents in closing at $15.75 trading 6,650 shares. Trinidad Cement ended at $3.40, with 50,000 stocks changing hands and West Indian Tobacco closed at $35.40 while exchanging 20,864 units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,548.17 points to 424,763.31, the JSE Main Index carved out a loss 3,280.43 points to settle at 387,331.81 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.77 points to close at 99.82. The day’s loss pulled the market down two percent for the year to date.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Salada Foods settled at $34.01, with a loss of 99 cents after exchanging 100 shares, Scotia Group climbed $1.90 to $44, in swapping 4,422 units, Stanley Motta slipped 41 cents to $5.06, in crossing the market with 4,021 stock units and Supreme Ventures shed 65 cents to close at $16.65, after 34,402 shares cleared the market.
Trading on the Trinidad and Tobago ended with 15 securities changing hands compared to 16 on the previous trading day, with prices of two stocks rising, four declining and nine remaining unchanged.
Grace Kennedy closed at $3.80 while trading 1,000 stock units, Guardian Holdings closed at $20.54, with 7,163 shares changing hands, JMMB Group advanced 3 cents to $1.98 in the switching of 1,060 units. National Flour Mills closed at $2.60, with 6,143 stock units crossing the market, One Caribbean Media remained at $4.85 in exchanging 125,368 shares, Point Lisas closed at $3.15 trading 500 units. Prestige Holdings gained 40 cents in closing at $8 in trading 100 stock units, Republic Financial Holdings stayed at $136.82 with the swapping of 1,645 units, Scotiabank ended at $57.50 after exchanging 11,877 shares. Unilever Caribbean fell 7 cents to $16.63 in trading 2,347 stocks and West Indian Tobacco closed at $35.40 with the swapping of 35,661 units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 1,389.55 points to 428,311.48, the Main Index rose 1,200.38 points to 390,612.24 and the JSE Financial Index gained just 0.13 points to 100.59.
Trading month to date averaged 307,009 units at $1,049,528 for each security, in contrast to 326,985 units at $1,105,486 on Friday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Pan Jam Investment closed at $68, after losing $2.17 and trading 4,017 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 70 cents to $8.95, in a transfer of 250 stocks, Salada Foods advanced to $35, with gains of $1.80 in switching ownership of 44,051 stock units. Scotia Group fell $1.90 to $42.10, exchanging 8,179 shares and Seprod gained 30 cents, ending at $63.80 after 10,198 stocks crossed the exchange.
The Main Market slipped a bit to end the first half of January, with a modest loss but technical indicator points to it heading towards the 460,000 points level on the All Jamaica Composite Index, soon. The Junior Market is up 2.4 percent since the 2020 close and is a few points away from the level reached at the close of March 5 last year, having surpassed the April high, as the bullish golden cross takes full hold on the market to launch a big rally.
The stock gained 50 cents at the close on Friday but traded as high as $5 during the week and moved from fifth spot last week to ninth position on the 2020/21 TOP10 list. Jamaican Teas gained 25 percent since December and seems poised to move higher as interest in the stock grows since the announcement of a three for one stock split late last year. An indication of increased interest is the exchange of 4 million shares on Friday. The stock moved from the fourth position last week to seventh this past week as it gained 24 percent for the week.
The current TOP 10 report is based on earnings for 2020/21 as there are substantial gains ahead, for many stocks in the listings.
The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 7.6 at just 52 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9.2 or 56 percent of the PE of that market.
Trading for the day averaged 151,130 units at $853,303, compared to 301,312 shares at $1,395,993 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 326,985 units at $1,105,486, in contrast to 346,427 units at $1,133,366 on Thursday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Kingston Wharves shed 74 cents to end at $46.76, in switching ownership of 425 units, NCB Financial fell $1 to $139, with 37,390 stock units crossing the market, Palace Amusement dropped $200 in closing at $1,100, with an exchange of 39 units. PanJam Investment fell $1.77 to $70.17, in transferring 1,793 units, Salada Foods ended at $33.20, with a loss of $2.80 trading 21,881 stocks, Scotia Group rose $1 to $44, after exchanging 22,377 shares, Seprod shed 70 cents in closing at $63.50, in an exchange of 10,331 stocks and Stanley Motta settled at $5.45, with gains of 39 cents while exchanging 7,231 stock units.
National Flour Mills advanced 15 cents to $2.45, in switching ownership of 27,000 shares. NCB Financial Group picked up 5 cents to close at $8.30, with an exchange of 1,989 stocks, One Caribbean Media settled at $4.85, after a transfer of 5,295 stock units, Republic Financial Holdings fell $3.25 to $136.75, in trading 1,000 shares. Scotiabank shed 50 cents after ending at $57.50, with 6,781 stock units crossing the market, Trinidad & Tobago NGL rose 39 cents to $15.50, with the swapping of 304 shares, Trinidad Cement gained 5 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.40, in exchanging 770 shares. Unilever Caribbean closed at $16.70 after clearing the market with 15,169 stock units and West Indian Tobacco remained at $35.35, in trading 22,367 shares.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dipped 55.38 points to 426,012.48, the Main Index gained 128.37 points to 388,746.14 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.08 points to settle at 100.17.
Trading for the day averaged 301,312 units at $1,395,993 for each security compared to an average of 361,368 shares at $1,264,797 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 346,427 units at $1,133,366, in contrast to 351,891 units at $1,101,554 on the prior trading day. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Kingston Properties rose 50 cents to $7.25, in exchanging 1,000 units, Kingston Wharves gained 35 cents to $47.50 in exchanging 1,100 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $7.47 to $150 after transferring 250 units, NCB Financial rose 50 cents to $140, trading 12,328 stocks. Pan Jam Investment advanced $5.84 to $71.94, with 270 units changing hands, Scotia Group gained 50 cents to close at $43 after exchanging 7,800 stock units and Seprod climbed $2.20 to $64.20, in trading 13,586 shares.