Tuesday’s market activity drove more stocks down than up at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market resulting in the main market indices declining after trading volume slipped modestly but with 39 percent higher value than on Monday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 3,548.17 points to 424,763.31, the JSE Main Index carved out a loss 3,280.43 points to settle at 387,331.81 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.77 points to close at 99.82. The day’s loss pulled the market down two percent for the year to date.
Trading ended with 43 securities changing hands, down from 48 on Monday and closed with prices of 16 stocks rising, 21 declining and six remaining unchanged.
The average PE Ratio closed at 16.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 5,599,223 shares for $35,696,430 compared to 5,906,893 units at $25,643,760 on Monday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 19.7 percent of total volume for 1.11 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund 17.9 percent, with 1 million units and Pulse Investments with 15.4 percent market share for 863,587 units.
Trading for the day averaged 130,214 units at $830,150 compared to 123,060 shares at $534,245 on Monday. Trading month to date averaged 292,746 units at $1,031,829, in contrast to 307,009 units at $1,049,528 on Monday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments fell $1.82 to end at $82.10, in exchanging 50,001 shares, Berger Paints closed at $12.01, after losing $1.99 with 1,741 units crossing the exchange. Eppley lost 60 cents in closing at $22, with an exchange of 2,600 shares, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund slid $1.99 to $41.01 in trading 390 units, Jamaica Broilers rose 75 cents to $28.25, with investors swapping 1,943 stock units. JMMB Group gained 47 cents to settle at $33, in trading 51,000 shares, Kingston Wharves finished 50 cents higher at $48.50 after a transfer of 1,199 stock units, 138 Student Living shed $1.09 to close at $3.35 in trading 11,000 shares, Proven Investments lost 40 cents to close at $36.50 with 805 units changing hands. 
Salada Foods settled at $34.01, with a loss of 99 cents after exchanging 100 shares, Scotia Group climbed $1.90 to $44, in swapping 4,422 units, Stanley Motta slipped 41 cents to $5.06, in crossing the market with 4,021 stock units and Supreme Ventures shed 65 cents to close at $16.65, after 34,402 shares cleared the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 1,389.55 points to 428,311.48, the Main Index rose 1,200.38 points to 390,612.24 and the JSE Financial Index gained just 0.13 points to 100.59.
Trading month to date averaged 307,009 units at $1,049,528 for each security, in contrast to 326,985 units at $1,105,486 on Friday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Pan Jam Investment closed at $68, after losing $2.17 and trading 4,017 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 70 cents to $8.95, in a transfer of 250 stocks, Salada Foods advanced to $35, with gains of $1.80 in switching ownership of 44,051 stock units. Scotia Group fell $1.90 to $42.10, exchanging 8,179 shares and Seprod gained 30 cents, ending at $63.80 after 10,198 stocks crossed the exchange.
Trading for the day averaged 151,130 units at $853,303, compared to 301,312 shares at $1,395,993 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 326,985 units at $1,105,486, in contrast to 346,427 units at $1,133,366 on Thursday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Kingston Wharves shed 74 cents to end at $46.76, in switching ownership of 425 units, NCB Financial fell $1 to $139, with 37,390 stock units crossing the market, Palace Amusement dropped $200 in closing at $1,100, with an exchange of 39 units. PanJam Investment fell $1.77 to $70.17, in transferring 1,793 units, Salada Foods ended at $33.20, with a loss of $2.80 trading 21,881 stocks, Scotia Group rose $1 to $44, after exchanging 22,377 shares, Seprod shed 70 cents in closing at $63.50, in an exchange of 10,331 stocks and Stanley Motta settled at $5.45, with gains of 39 cents while exchanging 7,231 stock units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dipped 55.38 points to 426,012.48, the Main Index gained 128.37 points to 388,746.14 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.08 points to settle at 100.17.
Trading for the day averaged 301,312 units at $1,395,993 for each security compared to an average of 361,368 shares at $1,264,797 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 346,427 units at $1,133,366, in contrast to 351,891 units at $1,101,554 on the prior trading day. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Kingston Properties rose 50 cents to $7.25, in exchanging 1,000 units, Kingston Wharves gained 35 cents to $47.50 in exchanging 1,100 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $7.47 to $150 after transferring 250 units, NCB Financial rose 50 cents to $140, trading 12,328 stocks. Pan Jam Investment advanced $5.84 to $71.94, with 270 units changing hands, Scotia Group gained 50 cents to close at $43 after exchanging 7,800 stock units and Seprod climbed $2.20 to $64.20, in trading 13,586 shares.
The Jamaica Stock Market has moved from the best performing in the world in 2018 to one of the worse performing in 2020. The fall from grace had to do far less with local factors but more so with global developments. Nevertheless, Main Market listed 
The Junior Market suffered badly, with ten stocks losing upwards of 39 percent out of a list of 33 stocks that declined for the year. The Junior Market was partially saved by two stocks, one that was listed in December 2019 and one listed in the last half of 2020. Mailpac was listed in December 2019 and rose 36 percent in 2020, followed by Tropical Battery by 28 percent as the two leading Junior Market winners. With tax losses as the only major asset of worth, Ciboney came in third and more than doubled with a rise of 118 percent. The Main Market had 32 stocks declining during the year, with losses going as high as 63 percent.
In 2020, both of the Jamaica Stock Exchange major markets were down, with the Junior Market just edging out the Main Market index with a lower decline of 21 percent versus 22.6 percent. Even though 2020 was not a great year, some investors made money by buying stocks at rock bottom prices when many investors were dumping earlier in the year.
Since bottoming in March, the Junior Market is up 30 percent and the Main Market 16.6 percent by the end of the year. There are strong signals pointing to an upward move for both markets as they transitioned from a consolidating phase when investors were assessing developments in the economy and the stock market to a more bullish state since the latter months of 2020.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Pulse Investments lost 30 cents to end at $4.45, with investors swapping 2,607,378 shares, Sagicor Group rose 85 cents to end at $50.35 after trading 10,629 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund declined by $1.95 to $6.30, as investors swapped 10,000 shares and Salada Foods fell $2.75 to $26, with 871 units crossing the market.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Pulse Investments gained 8 cents in closing at $4.75, after exchanging 3,765,486 shares, Sagicor Group shed 95 cents to end at $49.50 in exchanging 9,798 units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund fell 73 cents to $8.25, with 1,010,838 stocks changing hands, Supreme Ventures shed 40 cents in closing at $17.50, after the transfer of 29,737 shares. Sygnus Credit Investments rose 57 cents to $17.27, in trading 9,730 units and Victoria Mutual Investments lost 9 cents in closing at $5.91, with an exchange of 46,532 stock units.
At the close of trading, the All Jamaican Composite Index fell by 779.63 points to 432,047.85, the JSE Main Index shed 705.51 points to 394,081.24 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.23 points to end at 102.37.
Trading averaged 208,926 units at $1,562,771 compared to 965,417 shares at $1,445,448 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 333,822 units at $956,327, in contrast to 361,424 units at $822,306 on Thursday. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Pan Jam Investment climbed $4.97 to $73, with 11,719 stock units changing hands, Proven Investments gained 66 cents to end at $35.79, with 9,626 shares crossing the market, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose 71 cents to $8.98 trading 2,121 stock units. Salada Foods climbed $3.75 to $28.75, transferring 33 units, Scotia Group fell by $1 to $43, with 175,560 shares crossing the market and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 40 cents to close at $16.70, clearing the market with 51,777 shares.
Trading averaged 965,417 units at $1,445,448 compared to 175,260 shares at $734,535 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 361,424 units at $822,306 compared to 167,441 units at $622,172 on the prior trading day. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Proven Investments rose 73 cents to finish at $35.13 in exchanging 2,960 units, Seprod fell $1 to $64, with a transfer of 13,722 stock units, Supreme Ventures gained 31 cents to close at $17.87, with 5,935 shares changing hands.
December ended with an average of 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Stanley Motta closed at $5, with a loss of 48 cents exchanging 1,700 units. Supreme Ventures was down 34 cents to $17.56 with the transfer of 55,921 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments gained 34 cents to settle at $16.94, with investors swapping 27,623 shares and Victoria Mutual Investments gained 32 cents to end at $5.99 trading 1,900 units.
