Market activity ended on Wednesday with the market declining, with the volume of shares exchanged rising 75 percent with the value climbing 504 percent higher than on Tuesday at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 2,454.90 points to 460,664.22, the JSE Main Index shed 674.44 points to end at 423,234.82 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.36 points to 103.93.
Trading ended with 51 securities similar to Tuesday, with 16 stocks rising, 19 declining and 16 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative value of each stock, averages 17.1 based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
A total of 11,432,806 shares traded for $317,069,162 versus 6,642,522 units at $52,483,080 on Tuesday. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund led trading with 44.5 percent of total volume for 5.09 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway 12.7 percent, with 1.45 million units and Wigton Windfarm 11.7 percent, with 1.34 million units.
Trading averaged 224,173 units at $6,217,042, compared to 130,246 shares at $1,029,080 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 146,203 units at $2,483,594, in contrast to 126,120 units at $1,521,948 on Tuesday. June ended with an average of 249,610 units at $3,877,606.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has 12 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement popped $1.80 to $94.80 after exchanging 43,185 stock units, Eppley dropped $4.04 to $39.86 in transferring 958 units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund spiked $9.46 to $50 with the swapping of 5,093,289 shares, First Rock Capital rallied 26 cents to $15.81 in an exchange of 9,021 units, Grace Kennedy fell $1.99 to $102 in switching ownership of 34,826 stock units. Guardian Holdings surged $39.99 to $689.99 with 6,272 units changing hands, Jamaica Broilers declined $1.15 to $35.55 with the swapping of 7,584 units, Jamaica Producers slipped $1 to end at $23 after 11,621 stocks crossed the market. Jamaica Stock Exchange rallied 38 cents to $17.50 in trading 530 units, JMMB Group lost 44 cents in ending at $37.56 with a transfer of 43,241 stocks, Kingston Properties rose $1.10 to $9.50 in an exchange of 738 units. Margaritaville shed $1.20 to $14.10, with 2,457 stock units clearing the market, Mayberry Investments lost 25 cents in closing at $5.85 in exchanging 1,000 shares. Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose 76 cents to settle at $9.75 in switching ownership of 500 stocks, NCB Financial fell 50 cents to $141 with 42,327 shares changing hands, Palace Amusement dived $75 to $1,350 in trading 29 units. PanJam Investment climbed 40 cents to $68 after exchanging 11,951 stock units, Sagicor Group dived $4.50 to $52 in trading 183,871 shares, Salada Foods lost 30 cents to close at $8 with 69,919 shares crossing the exchange, Scotia Group popped 90 cents to $40.90 in transferring 134,985 stocks and Supreme Ventures shed 39 cents in ending at $19.01 with the swapping of 852,216 shares.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7.25% shed 24 cents in closing at $1.26 with 4,941 units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.