Trading ended on Thursday, with the market index continuing to slip after trading volume rose eightfold, over Tuesday’s level, with more stocks rising than falling on the US dollar market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange after reopening following the closure for Ash Wednesday.
Seven securities changed hands, the same as Tuesday, with four rising, two declining and one remaining unchanged, with the JSE USD Equity Index losing 6.76 points to end at 193.23. The PE Ratio averages 13.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market had an exchange of 633,561 shares for $275,891, up from 73,195 shares for US$12,725 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 90,509 units at US$39,413, up from 10,456 units at US$1,818 on Tuesday. Trading for the month to date averaged 71,880 shares at US$11,290 compared to 69,933 units at US$8,351 on Tuesday. By comparison, January ended with an average of 121,154 units for US$15,408.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows no stock closing with the bid higher than the last selling price nor with a lower offer.
At the close of trading, First Rock Capital gained 0.03 of a cent in ending at 8.98 US cents, with 18,709 shares clearing the market, Proven Investments rose 0.3 of a cent to 25.7 US cents trading 9,720 units, 
Sygnus Credit Investments J$ stock dropped 2.5 cents to 12 US cents trading just 4 stock units. Sygnus Credit Investments US$ stock rose 0.45 of a cent to 14.95 US cents with 38,258 stock units changing hands and Transjamaican Highway slipped 0.09 of a cent to 0.85 of a US cent with 434,924 units crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 5.75% C share increased by a cent to close at US$2.03, trading 129,331 units and JMMB Group 6% closed at US$1.01, exchanging 2,615 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers. At the 1 o’clock close, AMG Packaging rose 14 cents to $1.80 trading 2,404 shares, Blue Power dropped 30 cents to $2.85 in an exchange of 1,234 stock units, Cargo Handlers climbed 19 cents to $6.71 with 7,904 stock units trading. Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 7 cents to finish at $1.73 trading 8,412 stocks, Caribbean Flavours fell 15 cents to $1.95 after a transfer of 72,479 shares, Consolidated Bakeries gained 14 cents to close at $1.45 with 13,770 shares changing hands. Dolphin Cove climbed 45 cents to $7.50 with an exchange of 18 stocks, Elite Diagnostic advanced 25 cents to $3 with 6,160 stock units crossing the exchange, Express Catering dropped 18 cents to $3.50 with 3,136 shares traded. Fontana slipped 7 cents to $6.13 with a transfer of 214,490 shares, Fosrich fell 19 cents to $4.11 with 212,281 stock units changing hands, General Accident lost 12 cents to close at $5.31 with an exchange of 158,474 shares. Indies Pharma rose 8 cents to $3.05 trading 189,042 units, Jamaican Teas climbed 31 cents trading 1,364,296 stock units to close at a record high of $3.68, KLE Group advanced 22 cents to $1.40 with a transfer of 2,750 shares. 
Lasco Financial climbed 9 cents to $2.78 with 565,521 stock units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing rose 6 cents to $4.32 with an exchange of 222 stock units, Lumber Depot rose 18 cents to $2.68 with 1,068,851 shares passing through the market. Mailpac Group gained 16 cents trading 987,293 shares to settle at $3.65, Main Event lost 9 cents to close at $3.01 with a transfer of 2,029 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 25 cents $4.53 with 810 stocks crossing the exchange.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 686.84 points to 429,363.77, the Main Index lost 618.66 points to 391,508.19 and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.43 points to 100.29.
Trading averaged 218,699 units at $2,129,289, compared to 468,946 shares at $2,041,431 on Monday. The month to date averaged 413,643 units at $2,752,324, close to the average of 431,223 units at $2,808,510 on Monday. Trading in January closed with an average of 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Proven Investments slipped $1.48 to $36.50 trading 1,513 units, Radio Jamaica gained 6 cents to close at $1.56 with the swapping of 554,673 shares, after traded as high as $1.80 during the morning session. Sagicor Group rose 70 cents to $51.70, with 18,406 stocks clearing the market. Scotia Group finished 97 cents lower at $42, after 18,751 shares crossing the market and Seprod gained $1 to end at $67, in an exchange of 14,613 units.
Seven securities traded, compared to six on Monday with four rising, two declining and one remaining unchanged.
Sterling Investments rose 0.09 of a cent to 2.39 US cents with 900 stocks clearing the market. Sygnus Credit Investments settled at 14.5 US cents trading 2,901 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments dropped 0.5 of a cent to end at 14.5 US cents trading 2,400 stock units and Transjamaican Highway advanced 0.03 of a cent to 0.94 of a US cent with 23,060 units crossing the exchange.
The two main market indices are now down less than a percent for the year to date, as the All Jamaican Composite Index gained 2,037.03 points to end at 430,050.61, the Main Index rose 1,848.31 points to 392,126.85 and the JSE Financial Index added 0.50 points to settle at 99.86.
Trading for the day averaged 468,946 units at $2,041,431, compared to 333,659 shares at $5,013,961 on Friday. The month to date averages 431,223 units at $2,808,510 for each security, in contrast to 427,484 units at $2,884,542 on Friday. Trading in January averaged 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Scotia Group gained 47 cents to end at $42.97, with 52,903 shares changing hands, Seprod dropped $4 to close at $66 with 18,360 stock units changing hands, Supreme Ventures gained 50 cents to end $16, after 38,681 stocks crossed the market. Sygnus Credit Investments shed $1.25 to $14.50, in exchanging 383,772 stock units and Victoria Mutual Investments lost 28 cents to settle at $5.51 and to transfer 139,505 shares.
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Monday pushed the total volume of shares exchanged up 585 percent with a value 215 percent more than on Friday. Market activity resulted in 74,563,869 units trading for $122,016,255 compared to 10,871,142 units at $38,718,293 on Friday as 38 securities changed hands, up from 36 on Friday with prices of 16 rising, 14 declining and eight closing unchanged. Three stocks traded at 52 weeks’ highs during the day but only two ended at closing highs.
At the one PM close, Blue Power gained 29 cents to close at $3.15 in an exchange of 49,552 shares, CAC 2000 shed 50 cents to $9.50 after exchanging 345 units, Cargo Handlers dropped $1.10 to settle at $6.90, in trading 80,836 stock units. Caribbean Cream lost 34 cents to end at $4.65, after 63,863 shares crossing the exchange, Caribbean Flavours gained 10 cents to end at $2.10, with 165,153 stock units changing hands, Dolphin Cove ended 95 cents lower at $7.05, in an exchange of 1,292 shares. Elite Diagnostic slipped 25 cents to $2.75 with 85,552 stock units changing hands, Express Catering gained 28 cents ending at $3.68, with 13,665 stocks crossing the exchange, Fontana finished 19 cents higher at $6.20 in an exchange of 196,663 stock units. Fosrich gained 10 cents to close at $4.30 with 91,665 stocks crossing the exchange, Honey Bun shed 50 cents to end at $5 in a transfer of 573,813 shares. Jamaican Teas gained 10 cents to a record closing high of $3.37 after hitting an intraday high of $3.54, with 1,348,424 units crossing the market. Lasco Financial gained 9 cents in closing at $2.69, after exchanging 44,500 shares. Lasco Manufacturing fell 72 cents to $4.26 after trading as high as $4.95 with 217,306 stock units changing hands; the stock closed with the bid at $4.89, Limners and Bards lost 7 cents to end at $2.48, with 224,829 stocks crossing the market. 
Lumber Depot rose 40 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.50, after the swapping of 2,434,406 units and trading as at a record high of $2.65 before the close. Mailpac Group shed 47 cents to end at $3.49, with an exchange of 5,737,107 shares, as investors reacted negatively to the release of full-year earnings of 18 cents per share, driving the stock to $3.10 during the trading session. Medical Disposables rose 46 cents to $4.46 trading 1,000 stocks, Paramount Trading lost 15 cents and ended at $1.30, in exchanging 60,499,360 shares and tTech lost 59 cents to settle at $4.11, with investors switching ownership of 10,000 units.
Trading ended with six securities changing hands at the close, compared to seven on Friday and ended with two stocks rising, one declining and three remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ends at 13.9 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Proven Investments added 1.39 US cents to close at 26.4 US cents in exchanging 7,345 units, Sygnus Credit Investments closed at 14.5 US cents, trading 599 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments slipped 0.04 of a cent to 15 US cents after exchanging 44,116 stocks and Transjamaican Highway eked out a gain of 0.01 of a cent to 0.91 of a US cent with four stock units crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands, up from 34 on Thursday and closed with the prices of 19 stocks rising, 11 declining and six ending unchanged.
Trading averaged 301,976 units at $1,075,508 in contrast to 182,467 at $484,111 on Thursday. The month to date averaged 299,311 units at $853,420, compared to 299,016 units at $828,895 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Limners and Bards rose 5 cents to $2.55 in trading 16,660 stock units, Lumber Depot lost 8 cents to close at $2.10, with an exchange of 672,335 shares, Mailpac Group carved out a loss of 4 cents ending at $3.96, with 473,830 shares changing hands, Main Event fell 20 cents to $3.10, with 3,040 stocks crossing the market and tTech rose 61 cents to $4.70 with 200 stocks clearing the market.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 4,748.93 points to 428,013.58, the Main Index advanced by 4,304.89 points to 390,278.54 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.88 points to close at 99.36.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Stanley Motta gained 45 cents to settle at $5.35 exchanging 945,893 stocks, Supreme Ventures slipped 50 cents to end at $15.50, in switching owners for 96,790 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 55 cents to finish at $15.75 trading 55,266 shares. Victoria Mutual Investments rose 28 cents to $5.79, with 113,332 units changing hands and Wisynco Group gained 36 cents in ending at $16.35, trading 108,260 stock units.
Trading ended with seven securities changing hands at the close, compared to six on Thursday and ended with the prices of three stocks rising, two declining and two remaining unchanged.
The Jamaican dollar-based Sygnus Credit Investments gained 2.5 cents ending at 14.5 US cents in exchanging 400 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 0.84 of a cent to close at 15.04 US cents in trading 7,911 stocks and Transjamaican Highway shed 0.05 of a cent to close at 0.9 of a US cent with 230,224 stocks changing hands.
