The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended trading on Thursday with the market rising after more stocks recorded gains than those declining but ended the year down 22.6 percent as the coronavirus disrupted financial markets locally and worldwide.
The local market has recovered some 16 percent of the losses suffered up to March 25, but the gains so far are some way off the start of the year. At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 2,252.56 points to close at 433,521.09, the Main Index gained 2,013.69 points to close at 395,614.93 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.16 points to end at 102.09.
For a second consecutive day, trading ended with 47 securities changing hands and ended with prices of 19 stocks rising, prices of 16 declining and 12 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio closed with an average of 17.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Traders exchanged 39,602,360 shares, 37 percent more than Wednesday as $1,040,390,883 chased after investment in the market. On Wednesday, 28,868,187 units traded at $558,644,139. Transjamaican Highway led trading with 25.7 percent of total volume in trading 10.20 million shares, PanJam Investment followed with 25.3 percent and 10.01 million shares, Pulse Investments with 16.7 percent for 6.62 million units. Wisynco Group ended with 6.4 percent market shares from 2.53 million units, JMMB Group 6.2 percent with 2.5 million units, Barita Investments 4 percent with 1.59 million units and Wigton Windfarm 3.9 percent market share with 1.54 million units.
The day’s trades averaged 842,603 units at $22,135,976 compared to 614,217 shares at $11,886,046 on Wednesday. The month to date averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631, compared to 435,836 units at $7,056,564 on Wednesday. November ended with an average of 623,120 units at $6,686,047.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments lost $6.70 to end at $80 trading 1,589,442 stock units, Caribbean Cement rose $1 in closing at $63, with 137,215 shares changing hands, Eppley Caribbean Property Fundfell 34 cents to $49 trading 5,145 units. Grace Kennedy climbed $1.06 to $64.50 after clearing the market with 197,048 stock units, Jamaica Producers shed 40 cents in ending at $21, with 4,061 shares changing hands, JMMB Group advanced $2.53 to $36.50 in an exchange of 2,476,532 stock units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $5 to close at $153 in switching ownership of 12 units, NCB Financial declined by $3 to $142 in exchanging 6,748 stocks, PanJam Investment shed $2.13 in closing at $66.02 and trading 10,010,704 shares. Pulse Investments increased 36 cents to $4.50 in switching ownership of 6,616,355 stock units, Sagicor Group lost $1 in closing at $50 and finished trading 19,340 stocks, Salada Foods rose $2.75 to $30, trading 130,001 stock units. Scotia Group lost 70 cents to end at $44.25 after 17,576 units crossed the exchange, Sygnus Credit Investments climbed $1.07 in closing at $16.47 with investors swapping 75,710 shares, Wisynco Group increased by $1 to $17.50 in trading 2,527,199 stock units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.5% preference share advanced $1 to $7 after exchanging 3,478 stock units and Eppley 8.25% fell by $1 to $6 with an exchange of 900 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.