The Jamaica Stock Exchange, Main Market index, rose moderately at the close on Wednesday with the volume and the value of securities trading declined sharply from Tuesday’s levels.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index gained 414.38 points to 417,054.38, the JSE Market Index advanced 436.71 points to end at 380,124.60 and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.29 points to 99.40. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.3, while the Main Market ended at 14.6 times 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 47 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 16 stocks advancing, 17 declining and 14 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 42 securities changing hands and accounting for 26,283,150 units valued at $123,873,387, in contrast to 43,623,370 units valued at $900,746,655 from 44 securities on Tuesday.
QWI Investments led trading with 12.2 million shares for 46.3 percent of total volume followed by Trans Jamaican Highway with 6 million units for 22.7 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 3.8 million units for 14.3 percent market share. 
The only other stock trading over one million units was Wigton Windfarm, with 1.7 million shares.
The average security trading on Wednesday amounted to 625,789 units at $2,949,366, in contrast to 991,440 units at an average of $20,471,515 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 735,717 units valued at $9,211,677 for each security changing hands, compared to 790,034 units with an average of $12,305,995. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five stocks closing with lower offers.
In the Main Market, Berger Paints shed 50 cents in exchanging 3,176 units to finish at $13.50, Caribbean Cement fell by $2.50 to $51, in transferring 121,272 shares, 
Eppley added 88 cents with 1,335 units changing hands to end at $17.10. Jamaica Broilers lost 35 cents and closed at $26.10, trading 49,494 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange closed 50 cents higher at $22.50, in exchanging 72,566 shares, Key Insurance lost 31 cents to settle at $4.79, after trading 15,000 units. Kingston Wharves closed 94 cents higher at $57.99, in transferring 1,960 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy traded 61 units at $161, after picking up $1, NCB Financial Group tumbled $5 to $140, while exchanging 392,848 shares. 138 Student Living fell $1 to $7 after 86,901 stock units changed hands, Palace Amusement climbed $98 to $1,200 trading 96 units, Proven Investments closed $1 lower at $33, in swapping 25,731 units. Salada Foods shed 96 cents to finish at $28.54 in transferring 1,225 units and Scotia Group gains of 68 cents trading 1,306 units and ended at $46.48.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index fell by 663.89 points to 416,640.00, the JSE Market Index was down 753.91 points to 379,687.89 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.34 points to 99.11.
NCB Financial Group 1 million units, PanJam Investment 1.8 million units, Sagicor Group 1.9 million shares. Sagicor Select Financial Fund ended with 1.1 million units, Scotia Group 1.7 million shares, Supreme Ventures 1.4 million units, Trans Jamaican Highway with 3.1 million shares and Wisynco Group with 1 million units.
Mayberry Investments lost 39 cents trading 308,367 shares to finish at $5.54, Mayberry Jamaican Equities closed 44 cents higher at $9.94 exchanging 18,021 stock units, NCB Financial Group rebounded with gains of $5 to end at $145 after a transfer of 1,000,397 shares. 138 Student Living picked up 78 cents in swapping 61,056 shares and closed at $8, Palace Amusement added $1 to close at $1,102 with an exchange of 82 units, Proven Investments ended with a loss of 50 cents trading 14,504 stock units to settle at $34. Victoria Mutual Investments closed 42 cents lower at $7.53, with 608,186 shares changing hands and Wisynco Group gained 44 cents and ended at $18.44, trading 1,024,455 shares. 138 Student Living traded 650 preference shares and rose 90 cents to end at $5.90.
Firm Traders│ Clico Investments swapped 8,593 shares at $25.50, First Caribbean International Bank traded 5,016 stock units at $7.30, Guardian Holdings closed at $18.15 with 50,100 units changing hands. JMMB Group transferred 4,510 shares at $1.95, National Flour was unchanged at $2, after trading 282,500 units, One Caribbean Media held firm at $5.25, with an exchange of 7,000 stock units. Republic Financial Holdings ended with 3,910 units crossing the market at $133.60 and Unilever Caribbean transferred 21,255 shares at $16.99.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index dived by 3,543.96 points to 417,303.69, the JSE Market Index dropped 3,208.18 points to 380,441.80 and the JSE Financial Index shed 1.35 points to 99.45.
The average stock trading was 573,890 units at $3,542,999 for each security traded, in contrast to 2,430,656 units valued at an average of $4,524,674 on Friday. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
NCB Financial Group sustained a loss of $8 in transferring 224,350 shares and closed at $140. Palace Amusement picked up $1 to close at $1,101 in an exchange of just nine units, Proven Investments closed at $34.50, with a loss of 45 cents and trading 9,813 units, Sagicor Group finished 50 cents lower at $46, after swapping 142,269 shares. Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended at $7.50, with a loss of 44 cents in exchanging 1,420 units, Salada Foods added 50 cents transferring one stock unit and settled at $29.50. Stanley Motta fell 50 cents to $5, after trading 4,500 shares, Supreme Ventures closed 39 cents higher at $15.19, in an exchange of 103,922 units and Victoria Mutual Investments gains 65 cents and ended at $7.95, with 162,480 shares changing hands.
The market closed with thirteen securities changing hands of which two gained, three declined and the price of eight remained unchanged, while one stock traded at 52 weeks’ low. The volume of stocks passing through the market amounted to 188,712 shares valued at $990,863 compared to 1,393,703 shares for $4,290,531 on Friday from 14 securities.
Firm Traders│ Angostura Holdings was unchanged at $14.40 trading 5,855 stock units, Guardian Holdings exchanging 4,400 units and remained at $18.15, JMMB Group had 25,689 shares crossing the exchange at $1.95. Investors transferred 26,623 shares of National Enterprises at $4.25, National Flour traded 96,568 shares at $2, One Caribbean Media closed at $5.25, with 5,000 stock units changing hands. Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended at $16.25, with a transfer of 14,350 stock units and Unilever Caribbean exchanged 6,221 stock units at $16.99.
This week’s focus: 
The rise in the market during the past week did little for IC TOP 10 stocks, resulting in no movement in or out of the TOP 10.
The targeted average PE ratio of the market is 20 based on the profits of companies reporting full year’s results for the financial year ending after the second quarter of 2020 up to the second quarter in 2021. Both the Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below this level. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 14 and the Junior Market at just 9.6, based on current 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages a mere 5.1 at just 53 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at 8.7 or 62 percent of the PE of the overall market.
The average projected gain for the IC TOP 10 stocks is 330 percent, for the Junior Market and 138 percent for the JSE Main Market, based on 2020-21 earnings, an indication that there is greater potential to make greater gains in the Junior Market than in the Main Market.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 4,018.59 points to 420,847.85, the JSE Market Index advanced 3,762.78 points to 383,649.98 and the JSE Financial Index gained 1.12 points to 100.80. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.5, while the Main Market ended at 14.8 times 2020-21 earnings.
The average trade for the day was 2,430,656 units at $4,524,674 for each security traded, in contrast to 537,645 units at an average of $4,192,993 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 475,543 units at $3,077,280 for each security changing hands, compared to 369,670 units with an average of $2,994,834. Trading in April resulted in an average of 1,077,021 units valued at $3,829,201 for each security.
Jamaica Stock Exchange gained $1.57 and ended at $22.57, exchanging 105,212 shares, Kingston Properties dropped $1.50 to finish at $4.80, after swapping 40,000 stock units, Kingston Wharves climbed $2.99 to $57.99 transferring 9,590 units. Mayberry Investments lost 40 cents to end at $5.60 trading 14,908 units, Palace Amusement shed another $100 to close at $1,100, in an exchange of 83 units, Salada Foods gained 50 cents swapping 191,208 shares and closed at $29. Scotia Group advanced by $1 to $46, with 17,902 stock units changing hands, Stanley Motta picked up 80 cents to settle at $5.50, after transferring 31,500 stock units, Supreme Ventures gained 30 cents exchanging 40,864 stock units and closed at $14.80 and Sygnus Credit Investments ended trading at $17.32, after rising 36 cents and swapping 7,512 units.
Losers│ Massy Holdings shed 99 cents to close at $57.99 as 33 units changed hands and One Caribbean Media finished at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.25, with a loss of 25 cents after exchanging 20,855 stock units.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 1,262.37 points to 416,829.26, the JSE Market Index fell 1,326.12 points to 379,887.20 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.90 points to 99.68. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.4, while the Main Market ended at 14.6 times 2020-21 earnings.
The average trade for the day was 537,645 units at $4,192,993 each, in contrast to 419,045 units for $3,608,829 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 369,670 units valued at $2,994,834 for each security changing hands, compared to 361,176 units with an average value of $2,930,932. Trading in April resulted in an average of 1,077,021 units valued at $3,829,201 for each security.
MPC Caribbean Clean Energy tumbled $16 to $160 trading 1,501 units, NCB Financial Group climbed $1.01 to end at $148, with 476,923 shares changing hands. 138 Student Living gained 81 cents and transferred 71,160 stock units in closing at $7.50, Palace Amusement dived $100 to end at $1,200 trading 144 units, Sagicor Group rose 39 cents to $46.40 exchanging 34,761 stock units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund added 84 cents to finish at $7.94, with 600 units changing hands, Seprod climbed $1.39 to close at $54.95, in trading 141,419 shares and Supreme Ventures slid $1.20 transferring 1,674,041 shares and closed at $14.50.
Trading in April resulted in an average of 1,077,021 units valued at $3,829,201 for each security.
NCB Financial Group slipped 50 cents to end at $146.99, after swapping 318,361 shares, Palace Amusement advanced $100 to end at $1,300 while trading 80 units. PanJam Investment closed at $75.01, with a loss of 74 cents after exchanging 34,676 stock units, Proven Investments fell 99 cents to finish at $35, in swapping 26,455 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended 84 cents lower at $7.10, with 105,300 shares changing hands. Salada Foods declined $1.50 to $28.50 after 15,492 stock units changed hands, Seprod lost 44 cents to close at $53.56, in trading 51,316 stock units, Stanley Motta finished at $4.70, having lost 35 cents in swapping 12,264 units. Supreme Ventures ended at $15.70, with a rise of 70 cents in exchanging 645,967 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments gained 79 cents with 38,427 stock units crossing the exchange and closed at $16.99.