With Thursday, being the day of Jamaica’s general election, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended trading, rose with an equal number of stocks rising and falling, with seven percent more shares exchanged, with 90 percent greater value than on Wednesday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index surged by 1,988.44 points to 401,268.08. The Main Index climbed 1,851.55 points to close at 366,242.20. The JSE Financial Index gained 0.62 points to close at 96.84.
Trading ended with 38 securities changing hands compared to 45 on Wednesday, with the prices of 15 stocks rising, 15 declining and eight remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio of the market ended at 15.4 based on IC Insider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 7,819,711 shares for $77,429,738 compared to 7,341,364 units at $40,755,755 on Wednesday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 3.9 million shares for 50 percent of total volume, followed by Scotia Group with 1.18 million units for 15 percent of the day’s trade and Transjamaican Highway with 853,461 units for 11 percent market share.
Trading ended with an average of 205,782 units changing hands at $2,037,625 for each security, in comparison to an average of 163,141 shares at $905,683 on Wednesday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 209,284 units at $1,423,922 for each security, in contrast to 210,813 units at $957,419. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments jumped $3.50 to $57, trading 5,972 units, Caribbean Cement climbed $3.95 to $46.99, with investors switching ownership of 15,423 stock units, First Rock Capital shed 60 cents to close at $11.90 and 8,500 units passing through the market. Jamaica Producers fell $1 to $21, with 5,106 units crossing the market, JMMB Group rose 97 cents to close at $30.50, while transferring 41,850 shares. Key Insurance rose $1.94 to settle at $9.15, in an exchange of 184,302 shares, Kingston harves advanced to $45, with gains of $1 trading 7,600 units, NCB Financial ended 50 cents higher at $138.01 with investors swapping 38,808 shares. PanJam Investment carved out an increase of $1 to settle at $70 in trading 450 units, Sagicor Group gained 77 cents to close at $44.77 after exchanging 63,545 units. Scotia Group ended with a loss of 71 cents to end at $46.02, in clearing the market with 1,184,453 shares, Seprod gained 50 cents to finish at $55, trading 4,895 units and Supreme Ventures lost 30 cents ending at $13.50, with 5,173 units changing hands.
In the preference segment of the market, Community & Workers Credit Union preference shares gained 28 cents in trading 11,500 units to close at $1.98.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.