The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main market closed ahead of the month-end on a positive note with the market index rising after NCB Financial Group put on $8 to recover some of its recent losses.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index 4,251.05 points to 397,572.10, the JSE Market Index dropped 3,892.00 points to close at 362,404.98 and the JSE Financial Index rose 1.87 points to 97.36.
The market closed with 44 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 12 stocks advancing, 22 declining and ten securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 37 securities accounting for 7,206,423 units valued at $124,023,333, in contrast to 96,137,935 units valued at $316,661,417 from 36 securities on Tuesday.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 1.9 million shares for 26.5 percent of total volume followed by QWI Investments with 995,244 units for 13.8 percent of the day’s trade and Pulse Investments with 851,165 units for 12 percent market share.
The Market closed with an average of 194,768 units valued $3,351,979 for each security traded, in contrast to 2,670,498 units valued at an average of $8,796,150 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 1,033,414 units valued at $3,863,268 for each security changing hands, compared to 1,073,044 units valued at $3,888,297 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows eleven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 13.8, while the Main Market ended at 14.1 times 2020-21 earnings.
In the Main Market, Caribbean Cement gained 99 cents to close at $45.99, with a transfer of 27,975 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced by $2.99 to $36, in trading 808 units, First Rock Capital closed 75 cents lower to $11.25, after exchanging 11,226 units. Grace Kennedy fell $1.69 swapping 9,077 units to end at $55.20, Jamaica Broilers finished at $25, with a loss of $1.10 in transferring 275,520 shares, Jamaica Producers shed 75 cents to settle at $18, with 132,079 shares changing hands. Key Insurance raked in 95 cents to reach a record high of $6.50, with a transfer of 25,094 stock units, Mayberry Investments lost 30 cents trading 3,413 units and closed at $5.50, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $2 to $149, after swapping 420 units. NCB Financial Group recovered $8 of the recent losses to close at $146, trading 437,464 shares, PanJam Investment closed $1 lower at $75, in exchanging 317,961 shares, Proven Investments declined $2.40 to finish at $35.10, with 44,783 stock units changing hands. Scotia Group fell $2 to $41, after transferring 33,448 stock units, Seprod picked up $1.50 to close at $43.50, in trading 8,215 units and Stanley Motta gained 30 cents to end the day at $5, with 15,000 units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.