NCB Financial sharp fall in value on Monday, finally hit the market, knocking a big piece out of the Jamaica Stock Exchange index on Wednesday with the stock closing at $145 after trading at an intraday 52 weeks’ low of $135. The price used in the index computation dropped by a sharp $16.47 to $142.37 and was the main reason for the more than a 15,000 decline in the All Jamaica composite index.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 15,487.51 points to 375,091.09, the JSE Market Index dropped 13,893.08 points to 342,093.89 and the JSE Financial Index slid 5.70 points to 92.56.
The market closed with 47 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 19 stocks advancing, 21 declining and seven securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 40 securities accounting for 126,118,687 units valued at $211,017,961 in contrast to 79,985,445 units valued at $512,772,847 from 44 securities on Tuesday.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 113.4 million shares for 90 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 6.7 million units for 5.3 percent of the day’s trade and Trans Jamaican Highway US$ listing with 5.1 million units for 4 percent of the market’s volume. Other stocks trading more than one million units were QWI Investments and Sagicor Select Financial Fund, each with 1.4 million stock units.
The Market closed with an average of 3,152,967 units valued at an average of $5,275,449 for each security traded, in contrast to 1,817,851 units valued at an average of $11,653,928 on Tuesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 899,129 units valued at $6,578,450 for each security changing hands compared to 775,631 units valued at $6,653,987 for each company traded. Trading in February resulted in an average of 624,731 units valued at $3,239,665 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.5, while the Main Market ended at 13.4 times 2019 earnings.
In the Main Market, Caribbean Cement lost $4.99 and ended at $40.99, in exchanging 84,591 shares. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced $6 to $36.50, with a transfer of 5,140 units, First Rock rose 49 cents to $10, in swapping 19,391 shares. Grace Kennedy ended $1 higher to $54.50 trading 43,383 shares, Jamaica Broilers climbed $2.05 and ended at $29 after exchanging 17,399 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange fell to $16, after losing $3 transferring 307,083 stock units. JMMB Group climbed $2.50 to $35.50, with 198,122 shares changing hands, Kingston Wharves closed, with gains of $2 at $44 in trading 2,440 stock units, Mayberry Investments lost 50 cents transferring 27,849 shares to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $5. NCB Financial advanced $5 to $145, trading 67,140 units, 138 Student Living gained 39 cents to close at $4.50, with an exchange of 481 shares, PanJam Investment declined $2 to $78, with 49,817 units crossing the exchange. Portland JSX shed 50 cents trading 17,000 stock units and closed at $7.30, Proven Investments fell $4.98 to $32.50, after transferring 9,581 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost 40 cents to close at $7.40, in swapping 900 stock units. Scotia Group closed 99 cents lower to end at $37, in exchanging 117,469 shares, Seprod ended the day’s trade at $36, with gains of $1 after 10,932 shares changed hands, Stanley Motta added 44 cents with a transfer of 25,175 units to end at $5.74. Sterling Investments closed 65 cents higher to $2.90, trading 116,210 shares, Supreme Investments ended at $14.99, after gaining 99 cents exchanging 433,163 stock units and Wisynco Group closed at $12.79, with a loss of 79 cents after trading 161,608 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the day’s last transaction unless otherwise stated.