Trading closed on Friday, with the market index rising but with the volume traded falling 47 percent and values 41 percent lower than on Thursday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
The Market Index rose 24.73 points to 2,897.33 for a gain of 9.6 percent for the year to date. Similar to Thursday, 34 securities changed hands, with 19 rising, 12 declining and three remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 5,541,055 shares for $16,892,321 down from 10,531,327 units at $28,812,102 on Thursday. Jamaican Teas led trading with 22 percent of total volume for an exchange of 1.22 million shares, followed by Mailpac Group with 17.3 percent for 956,880 units and Caribbean Flavours with 11.8 percent for 656,369 shares.
Trading averaged 162,972 units at $496,833 slipping from 309,745 at $847,415 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 215,515 units at $615,400, compared to 227,586 units at $642,639 on Thursday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging gained 10 cents to $1.90 trading 217,976 shares, Blue Power picked up 5 cents to close at $3.10, with 1,695 shares clearing the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 12 cents to close at $1.83 in transferring 51,669 units. Caribbean Cream lost 14 cents to end at $4.65 after owners switched 2,087 units, Caribbean Producers gained 29 cents at $3.29 trading 5,651 shares, Dolphin Cove advanced 35 cents to $9.35 with 28,368 stock units crossing the exchange. Elite Diagnostic lost 5 cents to finish at $3 with 16,000 stocks changing hands, Fontana gained 5 cents to end at $5.80 trading 29,287 shares, GWest Corporation rose 6 cents to 89 cents with 125,397 units crossing the market, iCreate gained 5 cents to close at 75 cents with the swapping of 31,729 shares. Indies Pharma declined 23 cents to $3.18 after investors exchanged 550,100 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance fell 52 cents to $2.98, with 8,075 shares crossing the market. 
Knutsford Express slipped 51 cents to $6 in trading 18,167 shares, Lasco Distributors rose 14 cents to $3.74, with 4,197 stock units changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing gained 8 cents in ending at $4.34 after a transfer of 23,242 units, Lumber Depot gained 4 cents to close at $2.68 in an exchange of 522,779 units, Main Event fell 6 cents to $3.40 in an exchange of 14,000 stocks and Paramount Trading rose 18 cents to $1.50 in the switching of ownership of 37,500 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market indices just held above the negative zone for the year at the close, with the All Jamaican Composite Index declining 1,211.78 points to 433,954.68. The JSE Main Index fell 1,096.63 to 395,736.54 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.38 points to settle at 99.52.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
138 Student Living lost 40 cents to close at $5.60 in an exchange of 100 units, Palace Amusement dropped $83.28 to close at $801.72, after exchanging 73 units, PanJam Investment rose $2 to $68 with the swapping of 19,468 stock units, Proven Investments climbed 71 cents to $33.91 trading 84,673 units. Sagicor Group shed 60 cents to $50.50 in switching ownership of 131,285 stock units. Salada Foods fell 50 cents to $44 with an exchange of 1,700 stocks, Scotia Group climbed $2.99 to $43 trading 565,293 shares, Supreme Ventures lost 64 cents to close at $15.31 in exchanging 11,850 units and Wisynco Group fell 33 cents to $15.90 and finishing trading of 133,175 stock units.
Trading ended with five securities changing hands, similar to Thursday and ended with no stock rising, two declining and three remaining unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,755.38 points to 435,166.46, the Main Index gained 1,609.90 points to 396,833.17, but the JSE Financial Index lost 0.17 points to settle at 99.90.
Trading for the day averaged 242,367 units at $2,066,102, compared to 411,240 shares at $1,482,838 on Wednesday. Month to date trading averaged 328,734 units at $1,776,771, in contrast to 358,582 units at $1,676,782 on Wednesday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
Sagicor Group shed 80 cents to $51.10 with the swapping of 74,129 stock units, Salada Foods rose $5.99 to $44.50 in an exchange of 38 units. Scotia Group fell $2.49 to end at $40.01 trading 40,887 shares, Seprod declined $1.77 to $68.23 in a transfer of 74,108 stock units, Sterling Investments lost 23 cents to end at $2.77 in exchanging 1,643,311 units. Supreme Ventures rose 95 cents to $15.95 trading 36,943 shares and Wisynco Group gained 23 cents to $16.23, with 25,585 units changing hands.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Lasco Manufacturing dropped 34 cents to $4.26 with investors switching ownership of 154,200 units. Lumber Depot slipped 6 cents to $2.64 with 414,871 stocks traded and SSL Venture gained 8 cents to close at 66 cents with 3,850 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with five securities changing hands for a second consecutive day, ending with three rising, two declining and none ended unchanged.
At the close, First Rock Capital declined 0.4 cents to 8.5 US cents in exchanging 80,552 shares, Proven Investments rose 3 cents to 27 US cents after 158,458 stocks cleared the market. Sterling Investments advanced 0.27 of a cent to 2.38 US cents after 26,312 units crossed the exchange and Sygnus Credit Investments gained 0.28 of a cent to close at 14.2 US cents trading 2,705 stock units.
At the close, five securities changed hands, compared to six on Tuesday, with prices of two rising, one declining and two remaining unchanged.
At the close, First Rock Capital ended at 8.90 US cents trading 7,103 shares, Productive Business Solutions rose 9.15 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of US$1, with the swapping of 145,306 stocks, Proven Investments closed at 24 US cents in exchanging 37,603 units. Sygnus Credit Investments fell 0.96 cents to close at 13.92 US cents trading 15,779 stock units and Transjamaican Highway gained 0.03 of a cent to end at 0.93 of a US cent, after an exchange of 302,164 units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 34 cents to $4.60 with an exchange of 13,486 units, Lumber Depot rose 5 cents to $2.70 with 647,253 stocks changing hands, Mailpac Group increased by 14 cents to end at $3.49 with 782,591 stock units traded. Main Event climbed 32 cents to $3.47 with 900 shares passing through the market, Paramount Trading dropped 18 cents to $1.32 with a transfer of 449 stocks, SSL Venture slipped 6 cents to 58 cents with an exchange of 128,962 units and tTech rose 10 cents to $4.40 trading 90,000 units.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 2,201.29 points to 433,411.08, the Main Index dropped 1,957.22 points to 395,223.27 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.51 points to settle at 100.07.
Trading averaged 411,240 units at $1,482,838 for each security, compared to an average of 303,306 shares at $1,419,986 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averaged 358,582 units at $1,676,782 for each security, in contrast to 336,641 units at $1,757,591 on Tuesday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
NCB Financial declined $1 to $141, with 53,913 stock units crossing the market, Palace Amusement dropped $67.03 to $885, with 210 units changing hands, PanJam Investment finished 90 cents lower at $64.10 trading 8,674 stock units. Proven Investments advanced $1.75 to $39, with an exchange of 35,591 stocks, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 43 cents to $8.35 with the swapping of 15,997 shares, Salada Foods declined $2.99 to $38.51 with 8,295 units clearing the market. Stanley Motta gained 34 cents to close at $5.35 after exchanging 212 units and Supreme Ventures fell $1.20 to $15 in transferring 90,750 stocks.
Investors traded six securities, compared to five on Monday and closed with the prices of one rising, two declining and three ending unchanged. The JSE USD Equity Index shed 3.08 points to end at 196.01.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital closed at 8.9 US cents trading 4,000 shares, Proven Investments lost 0.56 of a cent in closing at 24 US cents, with 124,040 stock units changing hands, Sterling Investments carved out a gain of 0.01 of a cent to end at 2.11 US cents in trading 26,733 stocks. Sygnus Credit Investments ended at 14.88 US cents in exchanging 65,516 units and Transjamaican Highway dropped 0.03 of a cent in closing at 0.9 US cents, exchanging 194,032 stock units.
