Market activity ended on Friday with the volume of shares trading falling 59 percent and the value marginally greater than Thursday as declining stocks overpowered those rising three to two on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market as NCB Financial hit a closing 52 weeks’ low.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 2,854.98 points to 437,644.58, the JSE Main Index declined 2,810.34 points to 395,171.32 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.88 points to end at 95.52.
Trading ended with 53 securities compared to 49 on Thursday, with 16 rising, 25 declining and 12 ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a formula for computing appropriate stock values, averages 15.7. The PE ratio for the JSE Main and USD Market closing quotes are based on earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with financial years ending between the current year and August 2022.
Trading ended with 11,630,690 shares changing hands for $178,515,393 versus 28,191,943 units at $175,549,676 on Thursday. Scotia Group led trading with 23 percent of total volume for an exchange of 2.68 million shares, followed by Radio Jamaica with 17.3 percent after trading 2.01 million units, Transjamaican Highway accounted for 11.9 percent with 1.39 million units and Mayberry Investment 10 percent after trading 1.16 million shares.
Trading averages 219,447 units at $3,368,215, compared to 575,346 shares at $3,582,646 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 262,931 units at $2,448,639, compared to 267,974 units at $2,341,992 on Thursday. October closed with an average of 251,350 units at $2,773,208.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement fell $2.20 to $100 trading 17,409 shares, Eppley fell 79 cents to $37 with 265 units crossing the market, GraceKennedy slipped 94 cents to $99 after exchanging 387,356 stock units. Guardian Holdings declined $10 to $510, with 889 stocks crossing the exchange, Jamaica Producers advanced $1.40 to $23.40, after 3,880 units cleared the market, JMMB Group gained 30 cents after ending at $37.80 after an exchange of 116,390 shares. Kingston Properties lost 43 cents to close at $8.57 in trading 738 stock units, Margaritaville dipped 60 cents to $15.30 with a transfer of 74,498 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose 61 cents to $9.12, in swapping of 1,900 units. NCB Financial declined $4.68 to a 52 weeks’ closing low of $115.02 in transferring 34,177 shares, Palace Amusement dropped $20 to $960 after trading two stocks, PanJam Investment fell $1.70 to $66.30 with the swapping of 6,504 stock units. Proven Investments advanced $1.99 to $33.50 with 1,706 units changing hands, Radio Jamaica shed 70 cents in closing at $3.50 with the swapping of 2,014,280 stocks, following the release of record six months results, Sagicor Group lost 50 cents to finish at $54 in trading 404 stock units. Salada Foods slipped 50 cents to $7 with an exchange of 45,736 shares, Scotia Group fell $1.95 to end at $34.05 after trading 2,680,542 stock units, Supreme Ventures shed 71 cents to close at $17.23 in switching ownership of 18,990 stocks. Sygnus Credit Investments rallied 78 cents to $18.90 in an exchange of 143,034 units and Sygnus Real Estate Finance declined $1.99 in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $16 with 10,981 shares clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.