The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market indices regained momentum in trading on Thursday after an exchange of 23 percent more shares traded than on Wednesday but with more stocks falling than rising.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 4,980.27 points to 428,314.70, the Main Index climbed 4,490.67 points to 390,788.62 and the JSE Financial Index rose 2.00 points to settle at 102.20.
Trading ended with 46 securities changing hands compared to 44 on Wednesday and closed with the prices of 14 stocks rising, 18 declining and 14 remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading resulted in 5,190,810 shares changing hands for $45,639,960 compared to 4,210,405 units at $40,575,680 on Wednesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 29.3 percent of total volume, after exchanging 1.52 million shares followed by Transjamaican Highway with 11.5 percent for 595,299 units and Ciboney Group with 10.8 percent market share for 561,269 units after the stock traded at a 52 weeks’ high of 21 cents.
Trading for the day averaged 112,844 units at $992,173 for each security, compared to an average of 95,691 shares at $922,175 on Wednesday. The average month to date trade is 309,597 units at $4,431,412 for each security, in contrast to 339,174 units at $4,948,422 on Wednesday. November averaged 623,120 units at $6,686,047.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments fell by $1.50 to close at $85, with an exchange of 6,956 units, Caribbean Cement shed $1 to settle at $56, after clearing the market with 4,063 units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund climbed $3 to end at $43.50, in exchanging 1,071 units, Grace Kennedy shed 96 cents to close at $63.03, with the changing of ownership of 31,199 shares, Jamaica Broilers lost 45 cents to close at $28 trading 18,187 stock units. Jamaica Producers declined $1.24 to $20.50, after exchanging 28,512 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 49 cents to $18.76, with investors swapping 6,700 units, Kingston Wharves advanced by $1.80 to $48.80, with 3,308 units crossing the exchange. Mayberry Investments ended at $6, with gains of 39 cents after exchanging 35,146 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose 97 cents to close at $8.19, after crossing the exchange with 10,500 units, NCB Financial dropped $1 to $146, in trading 58,216 shares.
138 Student Living gained 34 cents to end at $4.65, with 1,101 units trading, Palace Amusement dropped $100 in closing at $1,200, with 5 units passing through the market, Pan Jam Investment gained 39 cents to end at $64.39, with an exchange of 8,413 units. Sagicor Group fell by $2.49 to $47.01, with 32,983 shares crossing the exchange, Salada Foods shed 99 cents to close at $26.02 trading 500 units and Scotia Group declined by $2.59 to close at $41.41, in transferring 171,015 shares after the Group reported lower full-year profit than in 2019.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,991.05 points to 429,520.28, the Main Index advanced by 1,803.16 points to 391,895.69 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.90 points to settle at 102.67.
The average month to date trade is 380,065 units at $5,624,586 , in contrast to 327,822 units at $6,556,598. November averaged 623,120 units at $6,686,047.
Palace Amusement declined by $105 to $1,300 after trading 12 units, Pan Jam Investment advanced $6 to $68, with 19,919 stock units crossing the exchange, Portland JSX fell by $2 to $7, in exchanging 6,606 shares. Sagicor Group rose $2.98 to $49.50 after owners switched 8,268 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund shed $1.48 to settle at $6.01 trading 22,100 stock units, Salada Foods ended at $27.01, with a loss of $1.97 exchanging 200 shares. Scotia Group declined $4.37 to $43.12, in clearing the market with 19,042 stock units, Supreme Ventures gained 40 cents to settle at $18, with 55,133 shares crossing the market and Sygnus Credit Investments closed 57 cents higher at $16.57, in exchanging 28,814 stock units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dived 6,819.00 points to 427,529.23, the Main Index dropped 6,331.19 points to 390,092.53 and the JSE Financial Index shed 2.36 points to settle at 101.77.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and nine with lower offers.
Proven Investments dropped $1 to close at $36, in trading 15,274 units, Sagicor Group declined by $5.48 to $46.52, in clearing the market with 2,593 units, Scotia Group climbed $2.99 in closing at $47.49, with an exchange of 33,426 shares. Seprod fell $1.99 to settle at $64, in transferring 13,119 stock units, Supreme Ventures gained 49 cents in closing at $17.60, with investors switching ownership of 62,688 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 99 cents to settle at $16, with an exchange of 116,506 shares.

Wisynco Group’s performance was on a roll, with revenues up 27.5 percent in the nine months to March this year, and 24 percent in the March quarter, but gross profit margin slipped in the March quarter while rising Administration and other expenses squeezed profits even more. Sales dipped slightly in the June and September quarters, but the September 2019 quarter, includes sales of $503 million from a discontinued operation, leaving flat sales from ongoing operations. Net Profits Attributable to Stockholders from continuing operations was $851 million or 23 cents per stock unit compared to $932 million or 25 cents per stock unit for the corresponding period of the prior year. Revenues for the quarter from continuing operations of $8.1 billion fell 6.1 percent from $8.6 billion in the 2019 quarter.
The company expects to have lower energy costs with the successfully commissioning of the Cogeneration plant in July 2020, with the company seeing a positive contribution from the implementation through reduced energy costs.
The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 6.9 at just 53 percent of the market average. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9 or 56 percent of the PE of that market.
Trading averaged 635,024 units at $28,925,756 for each security, compared to an average of 190,187 shares at $1,780,784 on Thursday. The average trade for the month to date is 289,116 units at $7,973,059 for each security, in contrast to 179,176 units at $1,313,675. November averaged 623,120 units at $6,686,047.
Salada Foods climbed $2.98 to $28.98, with 50 stocks crossing the exchange, Scotia Group lost 50 cents to finish at $44.50 trading 734,994 shares, Seprod rose $1.98 to end at $65.99, clearing the market with 20,865 stock units. Sterling Investments shed 35 cents to end at $2.85 trading 1,439,187 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 69 cents to close at $17.11, with investors swapping 4,059 units, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 99 cents to settle at $16.99 after investors switched ownership of 278,419 shares and Wisynco Group lost 40 cents to end at $16.10, in exchanging 62,549 shares.
The market indices declined for a second consecutive day, with the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,756.26 points to 433,272.97, the Main Index fell by 1,431.23 points to 395,450.69 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.44 points to settle at 103.63.
Trading averaged 190,187 units at $1,780,784 for each security, compared to an average of 169,420 shares at $1,098,311 on Wednesday. The average trade for the month to date is 179,176 units at $1,313,675 for each security, in contrast to 173,476 units at $1,071,877. November averaged 623,120 units at $6,686,047.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund climbed $1.22 to $8.97 after exchanging 19,020 units, Seprod shed 99 cents to finish at $64.01, with 5,814 units changing hands, Sterling Investments lost 40 cents in closing at $3.20 after trading 11,775 units. Supreme Ventures gained 30 cents to end at $17.80, trading 33,788 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments shed $1 to end at $16, after 550,563 shares crossed the exchange and Wisynco Group settled at $16.50, with gains of 47 cents as investors swapped 67,571 shares.
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 one with a lower offer.
Pan Jam Investment ended $1.49 lower at $62.01, after exchanging 9,913 stock units, Proven Investments gained $1 to close at $37, with 3,309 units changing hands, Stanley Motta gained 35 cents to finish at $5.35, in trading 2,180 stocks. Supreme Ventures rose 47 cents to $17.50 in an exchange of 13,504 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments advanced $1 to $17, with a transfer of 37,765 shares and Victoria Mutual Investments gained 34 cents in closing at $6.10 after investors switched ownership of 113,575 units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Supreme Ventures gained 40 cents to close at $17.03, after the swapping of 21,899 stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments shed $1.31 in ending at $16, with a transfer of 53,907 shares.
Trading averaged 341,117 units at $3,482,298 for each security, compared to 5,591,567 shares at $5,529,709 on Friday. Month to date, the average ended at 623,120 units at $6,686,047 for each security, in contrast to 639,789 units at $6,875,412. October averaged 398,200 units at $4,622,532.
Pan Jam Investment advanced by $2.90 to close at $70, with 142,736 shares crossing the exchange, Sagicor Group rose $1 to $52 trading 1,647,769 shares, Salada Foods closed at $27, with a loss of $1 in trading 5,498 units. Scotia Group fell by $1.99 to $46 in exchanging 210,312 shares, Seprod gained $1.10 to end at $65.10, with a transfer of 18,206 units, Supreme Ventures shed 87 cents to finish at $16.63, with 23,840 stock units changing hands and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 69 cents trading 181,280 shares to end the day’s trade at $17.31.
Access Financial, Caribbean Producers, Express Catering, Elite Diagnostic,
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, indicating the potential gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15.5, The Junior Market 13.3, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 7.2 at just 54 percent to the average of the Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9 or 58 percent of the PE of that market.
based on 2020-21 earnings, indicating greater likely gains for Junior Market stocks than the Main Market.