Thanks to a rise in trading of JMMB Group preference shares and Trans Jamaica Highway, volume trading on the JSE US dollar Market rose on Wednesday over that on Tuesday as investors exchanged seven securities.
The usual large volume traded by the recently listed Trans Jamaica Highway remained moderate on Wednesday, with just over 100,000 shares changing hands.
Market activity resulted in seven securities changing hands, with three stocks rising and four declining. The volume of shares traded was 291,094 units, with a value of US$266,784, in contrast to 34,926 units for US$4,838 on Tuesday.
At the close, the market index lost 0.18 points to 204.63 and the PE ratio of the market closed with an average of 13.8 times 2020 earnings.
First Rock Capital gained of 0.9 of a cent and closed trading with 3,000 units at 9 US cents, JMMB Group 5.75% preference share lost 1 cent to end at US$2.12, after exchanging 116,312 shares, JMMB Group 6% preference share gained 2 cents with 1,000 units crossing the exchange and closed at US$1.02. Proven Investments picked up half a cent to end at 26 US cents, with 62,971 shares changing hands, Sterling Investments ended at 2.3 US cents, after losing 0.2 of a cent after swapping 5,000 units. Sygnus Credit Investments closed at 14 US cents, with a loss of 1 cent in trading 1,415 units and Trans Jamaican Highway ended at 1.04 US cents, with the loss of 0.02 of a cent in exchanging 101,396 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the day’s last transaction unless otherwise stated.
The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 936,106 units valued at $3,341,554 for each security changing hands, compared to 606,651 units valued at $3,006,358 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Mayberry lost 30 cents to close at $5.70, with 193,000 shares crossing the exchange, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $5 to close at $140 after trading 957 stock units. NCB Financial Group climbed $3 to $158, with 69,263 shares changing hands, 138 Student Living fell by $1.10 to $5.90 trading 10,400 units, PanJam Investment shed 97 cents to close at $75, with an exchange of 93,034 shares. Sagicor Group lost 75 cents to end at $49.75, after swapping 120,363 stock units, Salada Foods gained 48 cents to finish at $32.70, with 4,604 units changing hands, Supreme Ventures climbed $1.33 to $15.99, with an exchange of 112,333 shares. Victoria Mutual Investments ended the day at $7.70, after gaining 35 cents and transferring 293,021 shares and Wisynco Group added 61 cents to finish at $16, in trading 560,505 shares.
The Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange slipped at the close of trading on Tuesday to continue the slide that started early March as oil-dependent Trinidad & Tobago faces significant economic challenges with the price trading well under US$30 on the world market.
JMMB Group slipped 5 cents to $1.95, in exchanging 54,676 stock units, Prestige Holdings lost 16 cents trading 373 units and closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $7.90. Republic Financial Holdings declined by $5.20 to $136.05, with 1,500 stock units changing hands and Scotiabank shed 24 cents transferring 1,119 units at a 52 weeks’ low of $54.75.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 10.4 million shares for 42 percent of total volume. Wigton Windfarm followed, with 8.5 million units for 34.6 percent of the day’s trade and Trans Jamaican Highway trading in the US dollar market accounted for 3.8 million units for the equivalent of 15.6 percent of the Main Market’s volume. Other stocks trading more than one million units were Sagicor Select Financial Fund, with 2.3 million shares and Wisynco Group with 1.3 million units.
First Rock Capital closed 40 cents lower at $9.60, with 50,007 shares crossing the exchange, Jamaica Broilers declined $3.52 to $29, with 48,411 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers gained $1.04 to close at $20.15 transferring 15,332 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities closed $1.20 higher to reach $9.10, in trading 59,464 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy advanced by $5 to $145, with an exchange of 344 stock units, NCB Financial Group climbed $2.09 to $155 in swapping 37,820 shares. Sagicor Group added $1.75 to end at $50.50, with 89,434 shares changing hands, Salada Foods dropped $3.78 to finish at $32.22, after transferring 471 units, Seprod closed $1 lower to $48.50, with an exchange of 11,674 units. Stanley Motta shed 30 cents to end at $5.50 trading 22,100 units, Sterling Investments picked up 35 cents to close at $2.85, with a transfer of 145,739 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments lost $1.96 ended at $17.03, after exchanging 103,764 shares and Wisynco Group rose $1.49 to $15.39, in swapping 1,312,997 shares.
Republic Financial Holdings ended at $141.25, with a loss of 23 cents in exchanging 2,451 stock units. Scotiabank fell 1 cent with 5,660 units share changing hands to close at $54.99 and West Indian Tobacco declined by $2.85 to a 52 weeks’ low of $30.90, with 1,976 stock units crossing the market.
Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
MPC Caribbean Clean Energy advanced $5 to $140 after exchanging 1,512 stock units, NCB Financial Group climbed to $152.91, with gains of $2.66 with 265,789 shares changing hands. PanJam Investments fell by $2 to $76 in swapping 225,872 shares, Portland JSX shed 70 cents to finish at $7.30, with an exchange of 38,667 units, Proven Investments closed at $39.70, after rising $2.20 and trading 11,126 units. Sagicor Group picked up 81 cents to end at $48.75, in transferring 73,620 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed 45 cents lower at $7.25 with 81,200 stock units crossing the exchange, Salada Foods jumped $6 to $36, after exchanging 59,400 units. Seprod closed $1.50 higher to $49.50, with a transfer of 65,614 shares and Supreme Ventures gained 40 cents to end at $14.40, with 248,813 shares changing hands.
The market closed with three stocks rising and two declining. The volume of stocks passing through the market rose to 827,966 shares valued at US$14,632 compared to 651,114 shares valued at US$42,388 on Thursday.
The JSE Market Index climbed 2,911.92 points to 380,510.48 and the JSE Financial Index adding just 0.30 points to 103.93.
Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Jamaica Producers fell by $2.31 to $18.70 after trading 35,872 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange shed 50 cents to close at $22.50, with an exchange of 40,317 shares. JMMB Group closed 54 cents lower to $38, in swapping 171,356 shares, NCB Financial Group declined to $150.25, with a loss of $4.74 and trading 36,785 stock units. Proven Investments added 90 cents to finish at $37.50, with 11,664 units crossing the exchange, Scotia Group climbed $1.49 to $47.99 in transferring 18,664 units, Seprod closed 50 cents higher at $48, in exchanging 25,496 shares. Stanley Motta gained 80 cents in swapping 200 units and finished at $5.80, Supreme Ventures picked up 43 cents to end at $14, with 17,488 units changing hands, Sygnus Credit Investments closed at $18.90, with gains of $1.87 trading 12,280 stock units and Wisynco Group rose 60 cents to $13.90, with a transfer of 1,360,292 shares.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange, US dollar market, rose by 3.2 percent with the market index climbing 6.44 points to close at 208.70, with the year to date decline being 7.7 percent. At the close of trading, the PE ratio of the market was an average of 14.5 times 2020 earnings. 
The recent sharp decline of the Trinidad & Tobago Stock Exchange in March and on Wednesday, slowed sharply on Thursday, with reduced trading activity as the market closed with eleven securities trading of which the prices of two rose and five declined, while four remained unchanged.
Republic Financial Holdings ended at $141.48, with a loss of 1 cent in swapping 650 stock units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL shed 25 cents to close at $18.75, after exchanging 27,043 units and Unilever Caribbean fell by 10 cents to a 52 weeks’ low of $18.90, with 589 stock units crossing the market.
