Activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market began the week with the major indices losing ground with rising stocks edging out declining ones.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined 2,332.11 points to close at 544,032.31, the JSE Market Index dropped 2,102.93 points to 495,476.05 and the JSE Financial Index lost 1.18 points to 134.33.
Grace Kennedy and Jamaica Producers lost $5 and $2.39, respectively, at the same time, Kingston Wharves jumped $5.57, Jamaica Stock Exchange climbed $3.14 and Caribbean Cement was up $2 to be some of the more significant movers at the close of trading.
The market closed with 46 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with the prices of 19 advancing, 16 declining and 11 trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 42 securities accounting 17,412,213 units valued at $219,477,578 in contrast to 18,625,847 units valued at $90,035,262 from 43 securities on Friday.
 Sagicor Select Financial Fund dominated trading with 5.65 million shares for 32 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 3.45 million units for 20 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Manufacturing and Distribution Fund with 2.64 million shares for 15 percent market share. Other stocks trading more than one million shares were Grace Kennedy with 1.25 million shares and QWI Investments with 1.44 million units.
The market closed with an average of 414,576 units valued at an average of $5,225,657 for each security traded, in contrast to 433,159 units valued at an average of $2,093,843 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 528,016 units valued at $2,464,594 for each security changing hands, compared to 537,214 units valued at $2,221,990 for each security traded. Trading in December resulted in an average of 595,143 units valued at $9,344,514 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 19.9, while the Main Market ended at 19.2 times 2019 earnings.
In the prime market, Barita Investments lost 50 to close at $72 in trading 8,851 units, Berger Paints closed 85 cents lower to $17, with an exchange of 900 shares, Caribbean Cement gained $2 to settle at $73, with 7,203 stock units changing hands. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund rose 98 cents to $38, in swapping 3,200 shares, Grace Kennedy dropped $5 to end at $72, after transferring 1,248,922 shares, Jamaica Broilers closed at $38, after losing $1 in trading 2,849 shares. Jamaica Producers settled at $24.61, with a loss of $2.39 in swapping 21,511 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange advanced by $3.14 to $32, in exchanging 56,550 shares, JMMB Group lost 45 cents to close at $48, with 107,892 shares changing hands. Kingston Wharves climbed $5.57 to $61.60, in transferring 32,070 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities ended 31 cents lower at $11.01, with an exchange of 22,155 shares, 138 Student Living gained 42 cents to settle at $4.22 trading 3,000 shares. PanJam Investment ended at $102, with a gain of $1 after exchanging 8,876 shares. Portland JSX lost $1.29 to end at $7.70, with 92,980 shares changing hands, Proven Investments gained $1 to $49, after transferring 29,275 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended 55 cents higher to close at $9.60 after trading 7,657 stock units. Scotia Group added 50 cents to settle at $56.50, with 91,557 shares changing hands, Supreme Ventures ended at $25, gaining $1 exchanging 54,697 shares, Victoria Mutual Investments closed 36 cents higher at $10.96, after swapping 334,266 shares and Wisynco Group rose $1 to $23, in trading 74,342 units.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 395,007 units value US$115,375. The market index plunged 10.07 points to close at 237.46. Margaritaville traded 251,150 shares and declined marginally from 34 US cents to 33.99 US cents, Proven Investments closed 2.5 US cents lower to 31.55 US cents, after swapping 13,933 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments lost 3 US cents in exchanging 126,766 units to close at 15 US cents, and JMMB Group 5.75% preference share remained unchanged at US$1.72, after trading 3,158 units.

Grace Kennedy put on $7 to recover from a big drop on Wednesday, but Scotia Group dropped $2.95 and, along with sixteen other rising stocks, helped to push the JSE Main Market Index up 3,600 points.
Market activity resulted in the primary indices regaining almost half of the ground lost on Wednesday. At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 4,003.98 points to close at 548,733.81. The JSE Market Index climbed 3,628.22 points to 499,677.72 and the JSE Financial Index rose 1.55 points to 136.32.
The market closed with 47 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with the prices of 18 stocks advancing, 16 declining and 13 trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 42 securities accounting for 28,467,668 units valued at $102,258,217 in contrast to 49,953,294 units valued at $104,735,667 from 42 securities on Wednesday.
Wigton Windfarm dominated trading with 17.6 million shares for 62 percent of total volume, followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 6.3 million units for 22 percent of the day’s trade and QWI Investments with 1.1 million shares for 4 percent of the market’s volume.
The Market closed with an average of 662,039 units, valued at an average of $2,378,098 for each security traded, in contrast to 1,218,373 units valued at an average of $2,554,528 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 546,633 units valued at $2,234,657 for each security changing hands, compared to 535,146 units valued at $2,218,923 for each security traded. Trading in December resulted in an average of 595,143 units valued at $9,344,514 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and eight closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 19.5, while the Main Market ended at 18.7 times the 2019 earnings.
In the prime market, Barita Investments lost $1 to close at $73, with 3,100 shares changing hands, Berger Paints gained 50 cents to settle at $17 trading 884 units, Grace Kennedy jumped $7 to close at $78, after swapping 112,533 stock units. Jamaica Producers Group dropped 97 cents to end at $24.53, in exchanging 3,752 shares, JMMB Group closed $1.70 higher to $48.45 with an exchange of 196,144 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 55 cents to settle at $11.30 in trading 56,800 units. NCB Financial Group declined by 50 cents to close at $193, in an exchange of 74,576 shares, Sagicor Group climbed $1.80 to $70.80, in swapping 9,434 shares, Scotia Group ended $2.95 down at $55, with 34,209 shares changing hands, Seprod slipped 94 cents and closed at $48, in trading 35,213 shares. Supreme Ventures slid to $23, after a loss of $2 in transferring 147,830 shares, Victoria Mutual Investments closed 50 cents lower at $10.50, with an exchange of 297,116 shares and Wisynco Group gained $1.25 to end at $23.25, in swapping 188,582 shares. In the preference sector, JMMB Group 7.25% preference share lost 39 cents in closing at $1.59 with just 535 units changing hands.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 223,639 units valued at over US$55,813. The market index advanced 3.06 points to close at 235.51. Margaritaville Turks exchanged 122,500 shares at 35 US cents after rising a fraction of a cent. Sygnus Credit Investments gained 3.7 US cents trading 56,225 shares to end at 18 US cents, Sterling Investments closed at 3 US cents with 36,382 units changing hands. Productive Business Solution rose 5 US cents to 75 US cents, with a transfer of 123 units and Proven Investments lost half of a cent to end at 32 US cents while exchanging 8,409 shares.

NCB Financial Montego Bay branch

Prices of Grace Kennedy and NCB Financial Group suffered sharp declines followed by Jamaica Broilers and Kingston Wharves and helped to knock several thousand points off the major indices of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index plummeted 9,959.24 points to close at 544,729.83, the JSE Market Index plunged 9,002.01 points to 496,049.50 and the JSE Financial Index declined 2.42 points to 134.77.
The market closed with 46 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with the prices of 13 advancing, 21 declining and 12 trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 41 securities accounting for 49,953,294 units at $104,735,667 in contrast to 25,370,029 units valued at $66,307,015 from 36 securities on Tuesday.
Sagicor Select Financial Fund dominated trading with 36.3 million shares for 73 percent of total volume, followed by JMMB Group 7.5% with 5 million units for 10 percent of the day’s trade, and Wigton Windfarm with 2.9 million shares for 6 percent of the market’s volume. Other stocks trading more than one million units were Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 2.2 million shares and QWI Investments with 1.7 million units.
The Market closed with an average of 1,218,373 units valued at an average of $2,554,528 for each security traded, in contrast to 704,723 units for $1,841,862 on Tuesday for each security changing hands. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 535,146 units for $2,218,923 for each security crossing the exchange, compared to 463,503 units valued at $2,179,721 for each security traded. Trading in December resulted in an average of 595,143 units valued at $9,344,514 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 18.7, while the Main Market ended at 19.4 times the 2019 earnings.
In the prime market, Barita Investments gained 50 cents to settle at $74 trading 4,241 units, Caribbean Cement climbed $4.45 to end at $73.45, with 29,398 shares changing hands, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund closed $1 higher to $37.02 after transferring 610 shares. Grace Kennedy dropped $5.01 to $71 in exchanging 20,194 shares, Jamaica Broilers closed $2.79 lower to $36.11, after swapping 10,149 shares. Jamaica Producers Group climbed $1.49 to settle at $25.50, in trading 2,247 shares, JMMB Group lost $1.25 to close at $46.75, with 95,804 units changing hands. Kingston Wharves ended at $56.02, after losing $2.48 in trading 1,501 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities gained 54 cents to close at $11.85, in swapping 9,302 units, NCB Financial Group tumbled to $193.50, with a loss of $4.50 after transferring 97,143 shares. PanJam Investment closed $1.50 lower to $100.50 while exchanging 2,500 units, Pulse Investments gained 55 cents to close at $7, with 22,670 units changing hands. Sagicor Group lost $1 to end at $69, in swapping 52,139 shares, Seprod closed $1.06 lower to $48.94 trading 12,584 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 50 cents in transferring 38,791, to end at $27. Victoria Mutual Investments climbed $1 to a record $11, with an exchange of 341,192 shares and Wisynco Group closed 50 cents lower to $22 in swapping 319,531 shares.
Trading in the US dollar market ended with 220,522 units valued US$77,797. The market index lost 1.49 points to close at 232.45. Proven Investments traded 104,624 units, gaining half of 1 US cent to close at 0.325 US cents, Sterling Investments swapped 10,000 units at 3 US cents and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 3.7 US cents in exchanging 73,431 shares to end at 14.3 US cents. JMMB Group 6% preference closed at US$1, after falling just under half of one US cent in trading 32,467 shares.