Trading activity on Wednesday could not match the heady trading levels resulting from the dominant trade by Barita Investments on Tuesday. The volume of shares trading on Wednesday dropped 63 percent and the value 96 percent from Tuesday’s levels, helping the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market to close higher for a fourth consecutive day.
Fifty two securities traded, up from 49 on Tuesday, with 15 rising, 23 declining and 14 ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 15.8 based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The All Jamaican Composite Index popped 3,488.35 points to 452,100.44, the JSE Main Index jumped 2,700.82 points to 410,898.90 and the JSE Financial Index popped 0.89 points to end at 100.72.
A total of 18,954,825 shares traded at $169,922,552 from 50,863,279 units at $4,450,256,298 on Tuesday. Sagicor Select Financial Fund led the market, with 28.3 percent of total volume in exchanging 5.37 million shares followed by Pulse Investments 20.5 percent with 3.89 million units, Transjamaican Highway 14.3 percent with 2.71 million shares, Wigton Windfarm 11.4 percent with 2.17 million units and Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 5.6 percent after trading 1.07 million units.
Trading averages 364,516 units at $3,267,741, down from 1,038,026 shares at $90,821,557 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 334,642 units at $7,489,764, compared to 333,105 units at $7,706,920 on Tuesday. August closed with an average of 480,039 units at $8,561,549.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments spiked $4.99, ending at a record close of $106.99 in exchanging 594,219 stocks, Eppley gained 50 cents to finish at $39.50 with 454 stock units crossing the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund rose 96 cents to close at $43.95 in switching ownership of 23,576 units. First Rock Capital gained 60 cents in closing at $12.90 after trading 8,091 shares, Jamaica Broilers shed 99 cents to $32 with the swapping of 15,304 stocks, Jamaica Producers lost 28 cents to end at $22.70 with 1,306 shares crossing the exchange. Jamaica Stock Exchange dipped 29 cents to close at $16.85 in switching ownership of 7,067 stock units, JMMB Group fell 45 cents to $37.70 in an exchange of 216,455 units, Kingston Wharves popped 95 cents to $45 after three stocks cleared the market. 138 Student Living shed 54 cents to $4.51 with the swapping of 897 shares, Palace Amusement dropped $19 in closing at $1,030 after trading 71 units, Proven Investments shed 59 cents ending at $32.16 with 6,024 stock units changing hands. 
Pulse Investments gained 23 cents to close at $4.93 with an exchange of 3,890,553 shares, Sagicor Group advanced $2 to $56 in transferring 152,988 stocks, Scotia Group declined 60 cents to end at $38.40 in switching ownership of 85,570 units. Seprod lost 20 cents to close at $63.10 with 120,483 shares crossing the market, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 35 cents to end at $15.50 after 49,632 stock units cleared the market.
In the preference segment, Eppley 5% fell $1 to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $19 with an exchange of 399 shares and Eppley 7.50% preference share declined $1.20 in closing at $6.80 with a transfer of 10,800 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
PanJam Investment rose 95 cents to close at $63 in clearing the market with 5,204 stock units, Proven Investments lost 25 cents in ending at $32.75, with 2,387 shares changing hands, Sagicor Group rallied 50 cents to end at $54, with 22,229 stock units crossing the market. Salada Foods dropped 22 cents in closing at $6.03 and exchanging 45,550 stocks, Scotia Group climbed 50 cents to $39 while exchanging 33,390 units, Seprod fell 20 cents to $63.30 in exchanging 9,641 shares. Supreme Ventures advanced 22 cents to $17.92, with 16,152 stock units clearing the market and Sygnus Credit Investments popped 25 cents to $15.85 with 21,608 units changing hands.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Portland JSX gained 98 cents to finish at $8 with the swapping of 1,000 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund popped 50 cents to close at $8.50 after crossing the market with 233 units, Salada Foods picked up 25 cents to end at $6.25 in switching ownership of 14,969 stocks. Scotia Group lost 50 cents in closing at $38.50 with the swapping of 41,791 shares, Seprod spiked 39 cents to $63.50 with 39,397 stock units crossing the market and Supreme Ventures fell 90 cents to $17.70 in trading 86,640 stocks.
At the close on Friday, the All Jamaican Composite Index popped 922.91 points to settle at 443,543.76, the Main Index gained 780.78 points to 403,871.30 and the JSE Financial Index popped 0.39 points to end at 98.83.
August closed with an average of 480,039 units at $8,561,549.
PanJam Investment shed $1.77 to close at $62.01 in an exchange of 52,360 stock units, Sagicor Group lost 52 cents to end at $53.50 in trading 60,107 shares, Seprod dipped 39 cents to $63.11 with 11,833 stocks crossing the market and Wisynco Group fell 35 cents to $15.65 in exchanging 93,661 units.
The All Jamaican Composite Index slipped 295.03 points to 442,620.85, the Main Index fell 101.04 points to 403,090.52 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.06 points to end at 98.44.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with higher bids than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Mayberry Investments lost 20 cents to end at $5.50 in exchanging 301,484 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities fell 55 cents to $8.20 in exchanging 794 units, NCB Financial Group rose $1.49 to $129.49 in trading 179,455 stocks. Palace Amusement rallied $8 to $910 with a transfer of 236 stock units, PanJam Investment popped $1.78 to end at $63.78 with 931,362 shares crossing the market, Scotia Group declined $1 to $39 after dropping to a 52 weeks’ low of $37 in 69,473 units changing hands and Wisynco Group rose 21 cents to $16 in an exchange of 65,458 stocks.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,575.15 points to 442,915.88, the Main Index shed 1,499.07 points to 403,191.56 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.14 points to end at 98.50.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Scotia Group popped 45 cents to $40 with an exchange of 90,230 units, Seprod lost 35 cents to close at $63.65, with 291,051 stock units clearing the market, Supreme Ventures rose 85 cents in closing at $18.85 after switching ownership of 115,950 units and Sygnus Credit Investments gained 38 cents in ending at $15.88 and exchanging 38,335 stocks.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 1,769.43 points to settle at 444,491.03, the JSE Main Index declined 1,811.95 points to 404,690.63 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.18 points to end at 98.64.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Palace Amusement popped $50 in closing at $1,050 in trading four shares, Proven Investments gained 27 cents to end at $32.37 after clearing the market with 15,512 stock units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell 50 cents in ending at $8 with an exchange of 14,870 stocks, Salada Foods lost 43 cents to $6.50 in switching ownership of 28,135 shares, Scotia Group declined 45 cents to close at $39.55 after exchanging 19,323 stock units. Seprod shed $2 after ending at $64 in trading 83,383 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 39 cents in closing at $15.50, with 102,675 shares crossing the market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 533.05 points to settle at 446,260.46, the Main Index declined 448.18 points to 406,502.58 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.20 points to end at 98.82.
Trading averages 129,172 units at $1,172,727, compared to 77,870 shares at $972,833 on Friday and month to date, an average of 319,241 units at $3,702,393, compared to 334,040 units at $3,899,360 on Friday. August closed with an average of 480,039 units at $8,561,549.
PanJam Investment spiked 50 cents to close at $62.50 in switching ownership of 9,994 stock units, Seprod advanced $1.99 to end at $66 with 15,237 units clearing the market, Supreme Ventures dropped 20 cents to $17.80 in trading 4,260 units, Victoria Mutual Investments rose 27 cents in closing at $5.65 after trading 95,734 stocks.
Markets keep bouncing around with no clear direction and could be weight down by a number of factors, including rising interest rates as Bank of Jamaica starts its tightening of the financial market, Barita Investments APO that will drain or divert funds from secondary trading of other stocks and the absence of any other major news that could move stock prices meaningfully. Against this background, there was little movement in and out of the ICTOP10 listings this past week.
Lumber Depot moved back into the ICTOP10 with the price pulling back under $3 and replaced tTech that enjoyed a price bounce from $4.20 last week to $4.50 this past week.
The top three Main Market stocks are, Berger Paints followed by JMMB Group and Guardian Holdings, with expected gains of 212 to 257 percent for the three, versus last weeks’ 202 to 290 percent.
The TOP 10 trades at a PE of 6.9, with a 42 percent discount to that market’s PE and the potential to rise 67 percent to March next year, based on an average PE of 20.
ICInsider.com ranks stocks to filter out the bigger winners from the rest, allowing investors to focus on potentially huge winners, helping to keep out emotional attachments to stocks that often result in costly mistakes being made.