Trading ended with the market declining on the shortened Friday session with the market closing after just two hours of activity in keeping with scheduled early closure, which led to sharply reduced activity rising of 55 percent fewer shares with a value that was 49 percent less than on Thursday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 280.81 points to settle at 432,719.75, the JSE Main Index lost 93.85 points to 394,428.92 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.41 points to end at 98.79.
Overall 49 securities traded versus 48 on Thursday with 16 rising, 15 declining and 18 ending unchanged. The PE Ratio averages 15.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings.
Overall, 3,755,183 shares traded for $22,081,750 compared to 8,394,618 units at $43,010,092 on Thursday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 40.3 percent of total volume for 1.51 million shares, followed by Key Insurance 10.8 percent, with 407,418 units and Transjamaican Highway with 8.3 percent for 311,804 units.
Trading averaged 76,636 units at $450,648, compared to 174,888 shares at $896,044 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 191,717 units at $981,567, in contrast to 222,197 units at $1,122,189 on Thursday. Trading month to date compares adversely to March with an average of 354,107 units at $2,572,127.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, Berger Paints advanced 89 cents to finish at $13.19 with 100 shares traded, Caribbean Cement dropped $2.36 to $71.62 with a transfer of 833 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund jumped $4.11 to $44.50 with an exchange of 100 stocks. Jamaica Broilers fell 30 cents to $29 with investors switching ownership of 65,501 shares, Jamaica Producers declined by 70 cents to settle at $21.30 with 100 units changing hands, Jamaica Stock Exchange climbed $1.19 to $18.49 with 1,250 stocks traded. JMMB Group dropped 85 cents to $31.85 with 17,666 shares changing hands, Margaritaville rose $1 to $33, with a transfer of 100 units, Mayberry Investments lost 37 cents to end at $5.10 with an exchange of 55,300 stocks. Proven Investments fell 94 cents to $35 with 82 shares passing through the market, Sagicor Group declined by $1 to close at $50 with 13,238 units changing hands, Seprod climbed $1.40 to $73.50 with 5,127 shares traded. Supreme Ventures fell 60 cents to $15.50 with a transfer of 291,969 stocks and Wisynco Group gained 43 cents to finish at $15.60 with 36,182 units crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7.25% lost 15 cents to close at $1.45 with 474 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.