Demand for stocks declined on Friday in trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, with the volume of stocks trading falling 48 percent and the value of stocks exchanged dropping 82 percent lower than Thursday’s market activity leading to a slight dip in the main market indices with the advancing stocks just edging out those declining.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 202.86 points to 454,479.33, the Main Index fell 257.00 points to 424,303.18 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.04 points to close 105.33.
Trading ended with 48 securities compared to 50 on Thursday, with 19 stocks rising, 18 declining and 11 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio closed with an average of 16.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
The market closed with 13,537,949 shares trading for $85,630,782 down sharply from 26,264,484 units at $470,763,094 on Thursday. Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 38.9 percent of total volume for an exchange of 5.26 million shares, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 20.2 percent after 2.74 million units were traded and Pulse Investments with 7.3 percent for 988,208 shares changing hands.
Trading closed with an average of 282,041 units at $1,783,975, compared to 525,290 shares at $9,415,262 on Thursday. Trading month to date averages 320,145 units at $3,595,710, in contrast to 322,750 units at $3,719,589 on Thursday. Trading in April averaged 234,200 units at $1,772,561.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eleven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints slipped $1.61 to $16.39 with the swapping of 5,003 shares, Caribbean Cement lost 42 cents to close at $87.50 with 4,856 units changing hands, Carreras ended 20 cents lower at $10.70 after crossing the exchange with 382,401 stocks. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced $4.18 to close at $44.98 with the swapping of 1,700 units, Jamaica Broilers fell 80 cents to $34.70 in a transfer of 129,900 shares. Jamaica Producers lost 50 cents to close at $23, with 200,170 stocks crossing the market, Margaritaville lost 40 cents in closing at $14.60 trading 26,126 stock units, Mayberry Investments gained 20 cents to end at $5.50, with 196,336 shares changing hands. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rose $2 to $102 in trading 5 stocks, NCB Financial Group shed 50 cents to end at $138.50 in a transfer of 46,041 units, 138 Student Living shed 49 cents to settle at $4.90 with 3,975 stock units changing hands, Pan Jam Investment climbed $5.55 to $71.60 after exchanging 86 stocks. Proven Investments fell 90 cents to $37 with the swapping of 61,769 units, Sagicor Group lost 30 cents to close at $52.70 in switching ownership of 21,793 stocks, Scotia Group gained 80 cents to end at $40.80 in exchanging 5,309 units. Seprod shed $1.50 to close at $73.50 with an exchange of 44,685 stock units, Supreme Ventures rose $1.55 to close at $21.75 in trading 98,472 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments gained 40 cents to finish at $15.61 after exchanging 313,497 stocks.
In the preference segment, Eppley 8.75% preference share fell 99 cents to close at $6.51 with a transfer of 347 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.