The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended trading on Wednesday with the market declining after more stocks fell than rose after investors exchanged three percent fewer shares than on Tuesday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index lost 1,637.5 points to settle at 401,775.12, the Main Index lost 1,462.96 points to end at 366,695.36, the JSE Financial Index shed 0.01 point to close at 95.95.
Trading ended with 40 securities changing hands compared to 44 securities on Tuesday and ended with the prices of 13 stocks rising, the prices of 21 declining and six remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio of the market ended at 15.3 based on IC Insider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 34,870,786 shares for $314,992,214 compared to 33,825,327 units at $268,427,066 on Tuesday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 22.4 million shares for 64.2 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Group with 3.70 million units for 10.6 percent of the day’s trade, Jamaica Broilers Group with 1.70 million units for 4.9 percent market share. 
Also trading over a million units are Pulse Investments with 1.55 million shares and Sagicor Select Financial Fund 1.25 million units.
Trading ended with an average of 871,770 units changing hands for the day at $7,874,805 for each security, in comparison to an average of 768,757 shares at $6,100,615 on Tuesday. The average trade for the month to date, ended at 482,124 units at $2,813,629 for each security, in contrast to 449,855 units at $2,394,455. Trading month to date compares well to, July with an average of 392,128 shares for $2,444,356.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows 8 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments climbed $1.30 in closing at $56.50, with 1,727 shares passing through the market, Caribbean Cement shed 72 cents to end at $43.27 in finishing, with 9,096 units changing hands. Eppley carved out a loss of 40 cents to close at $17.50 in trading 2,000 stock units, Jamaica Producers Group dropped 90 cents in closing at $22 with investors switching ownership of 229,313 stock units. 
Kingston Properties gained $1.04 to end at $7.20 in an exchange of174 stocks, Kingston Wharves dropped by $5 to close at $49 changing hands 600 units, NCB Financial Group increased $7 to close at $138 after exchanging 98,898 shares. 138 Student Living declined by $1.18 ending at $5.80 after exchanging 325 units, PanJam Investment fell $7 in ending at $65 and exchanging 205 stock units, Proven Investments lost $1.92 to end at $34.02, with 200 stock units changing hands, Scotia Group increased 50 cents to settle at $46.50 with investors swapping 1,500 units. Seprod lost 85 cents to close at $54.15 with an exchange of 325 units and Wisynco Group dropped by 70 cents in closing at $16.55 after exchanging 50,260 stock units.
In the preference segment of the main market, Eppley 8.75% preference shares advanced by 53 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $8 while trading 10 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index lost 1,959.50 points to settle at 403,412.62, the Main Index shed 1,852.03 points to close at 368,158.32 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.13 points to end at 95.96.
Trading month to date compares well, with July that ended with an average of 392,128 shares for $2,444,356.
Mayberry Investments advanced by 75 cents in closing at $5.85, with 36,930 units passing through the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy lost $10.99 to close at $152.01 after exchanging 123 stock units, NCB Financial Group declined by $7.50 to close at $131 and finishing with 199,286 stock units crossing the exchange. Palace Amusement rose 50 cents to close at $1,552 after clearing the market with 19 units, PanJam Investment climbed $2 to close at $72 with investors swapping 3,804 stocks, Proven Investments rose $2.04 to close at $35.94 and finishing trading of 18,376 shares. Salada Foods carved out a gain of $1 to settle at $29 with investors swapping 50 units, Scotia Group rose $1 to end at $46, with 1,660 stock units changing hands, Seprod carved out a gain of $1 to settle at $55 in trading 16,225 stock units. Stanley Motta fell 33 cents in finishing at $4.80 trading 1,000 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 39 cents to end at $15.50, with 22,258 shares clearing the market.
National Flour ended 5 cents lower at $1.90, with 10,000 stock units changing hands and Scotiabank closed at $54.50, after falling by 40 cents trading 5,785 stock units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,190.14 points to settle at 405,372.12; the Main Index rose 1,139.72 points to end at 370,010.35, the JSE Financial Index rose 0.39 points to settle at 96.09.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows one stock ended with the bid higher than the last selling price and three with lower offers.
Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 65 cents to end at $8.10 with an exchange of 7,945 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $11 to $163 in trading just one share, Palace Amusement dropped $138.50 to $1,551.50, with nine units crossing the market. PanJam Investment lost $2 to end at $70 trading 3,160 units, Portland JSX advanced by 38 cents to close at $7.88 with an exchange of 9,700 stocks, Salada Foods rose $3 to $28 in trading 13,594 stock units. Scotia Group gained 95 cents in ending at $45 while exchanging 11,930 stock units and Seprod lost 99 cents to end at $54 and crossing the exchange with 26,126 stocks.
This week’s focus: 138 Students Living reported a 44 percent increase in revenues to hit $334 million from $223 million in the June 2019 quarter and a 60 percent rise in the nine months to $1.09 billion. The company moved from a loss of $17 million in the 2019 third quarter to a profit of $132 million in 2020 and from a loss of $60 million in the nine months to June, to a profit of $402 million. Operating cost fell in both periods compared with the 2019 cost. The big problem is that the company continues the extremely poor practice of not showing operating and administrative expenses separately, making it impossible to see what gross margins are. The significant increase in profit is due to claims made on the University going back to 2019, which are booked in the current year that distorts earnings from ongoing operations. 
While earnings per share for the quarter is an attractive 32 cents and year to date 97 cents. Earnings from ongoing operations suggest that the full year’s results should be in the order of 40 cents after a regular tax charge.
The average projected gain for the Junior Market IC TOP 10 stocks is 278 percent, and 152 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication of potentially more significant gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
Trading ended with an average of 468,316 units changing hands, for the day at $5,144,3583 for each security, in comparison to an average of 909,763 shares at $3,152,673 on Thursday. The average trade for the month to date, ended at 409,246 units at $2,120,026, for each security, in contrast to 401,777 units at $1,737,639 on Thursday. Trading month to date compares well to July, with an average of 392,128 shares for $2,444,356.
Jamaica Producers increased 90 cents to end at $22.90 and finishing with 8,565 shares changing hands, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 54 cents to close at $20 in trading 130,275 stock units. JMMB Group rose $1.15 to settle at $31.15, trading 23,103 shares, Key Insurance gained 92 cents to end at $7.99 in exchanging 19,577 stock units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy carved out a gain of $2 in ending at $152 and finishing trading of 800 stock units. Palace Amusement dropped $93.83 to close at $1,690 with investors switching ownership of 10 units, PanJam Investment jumped $3.50 to $72 with an exchange of 86,201 stock units, Proven Investments carved out a gain of 21 cents to close at $34.01 in trading 12,430 stock units. Scotia Group carved out a loss $1.95 in ending at $44.05 in exchanging 102,735 shares, Seprod climbed 99 cents to $54.99, with 7,744 stocks changing hands and Wisynco Group lost 29 cents to end at $17.50 clearing the market with 177,442 stock units.
The market closed with ten securities trading, up from seven on Thursday as ended, with the prices of three stocks advancing, three declining and four remaining unchanged. Stocks passing through the market amounted to 237,902 shares valued at $12,141,404 compared to 219,249 shares for $6,747,616 on Thursday.
Stocks declining│ First Citizens Bank shed 24 cents to settle at $46.75, with 32 units crossing the market, Grace Kennedy lost 5 cents exchanging 75,000 shares and ending at $3.60 and Trinidad and Tobago NGL closed 50 cents lower at $17 trading 30,410 shares.
Trading ended with an average of 909,763 units changing hands for the day at $3,152,673 for each security, in comparison to an average of 152,000 shares at $1,199,070 on Wednesday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 401,777 units at $1,737,639 for each security, in contrast to 330,159 units at $1,538,143 on Wednesday. Trading month to date compares well to July with an average of 374,929 units at $2,445,605 (392,128 shares for $2,444,356.
Kingston Wharves climbed 50 cents to $53, with just 2,071 units passing through the market, Mayberry Investments carved out a loss 75 cents to settle at $5.15 in an exchange of 19,239 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities dropped by 45 cents to close at $8.75 with investors wapping 152,360 units. NCB Financial climbed $7.88 trading 65,722 stock units at $137.90, PanJam Investment rose $1.75 to end at $68.50, with 11,860 shares changing hands, Proven Investments dropped $1.90 in ending at $33.80, with 2,500 stocks passing through the market. Sagicor Group increased by $4 to close at $44 in exchanging 682,448 stocks, Salada Foods shed $2 to settle at $25 after exchanging 42,000 units, Scotia Group dropped $1.73 to end at $46 in an exchange of 3,707 stocks. Seprod lost $2.24 to close at $54 in an exchange of 16,518 stocks, Stanley Motta rose 38 cents to settle at $5.13 with investors switching ownership of 37 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 65 cents to end at $14.50 with investors trading 152,771 shares. Victoria Mutual Investments declined by 37 cents to $6.57 with 69,669 stock units changing hands and Wisynco Group gained 58 cents to end at $17.79, with 11,650 stocks clearing the market.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index fell 2,977.80 points to settle at 399,966.07, the Main Index dropped by 2,833.33 points to end at 364,976.44 and the JSE Financial Index carved out a loss 0.77 points to close at 94.06.
For the month to date, the average trade is 330,159 units at $1,538,143 for each security that traded, in contrast to 360,995 units at $1,596,828 to Tuesday. Trading for the month to date compares well to July with an average of 392,128 shares for $2,444,356.
Key Insurance carved out a gain of 50 cents ending at $7.50 with investors swapping 1,135 units, Kingston Properties increased 57 cents to $7.60 after exchanging ten units. Kingston Wharves declined by $1.30 to close at $52.50 passing through the market 7,089 stock units, MPC Caribbean Energy declined by $19.85 to settle at $150 in trading 770 stock units, NCB Financial fell by $6.98 in closing at $130.02, with 222,268 shares passing through the market. Proven Investments increased 30 cents to settle at $35.70 in an exchange of 27,348 shares, Sagicor Group advanced by 90 cents in ending at $40 after trading 52,290 units, Salada Foods dropped by $1 to end at $27 in an exchange of 1,000 shares. Seprod advanced by $1.24 to close at $56.24 after trading 5,507 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 31 cents to close at $15.99 with 7,381 stocks changing hands and Wisynco Group shed 67 cents to end at $17.21 with investors swapping 82,451 units.
Trinidad and Tobago NGL shed 25 cents to finish at $17.25, after exchanging 13,573 shares and West Indian Tobacco suffered a loss of $3 to finish at $36, with a mere 10 units crossing the market.
