Main Market stocks ended trading with another day of substantial gains on Tuesday, after the market reopened from the closure for the Easter holidays and enjoyed seven consecutive days without losses with the market has recovered 67,814.67 points or 18 percent since the March 25 low of 375,091.09.

The main market of the JSE is climbing back nicely but watch 485,000 points level for possible resistance.
The market closed with 53 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 22 stocks advancing, ten declining and 21 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 46 securities accounting for 21,215,763 units valued at $102,509,485, in contrast to 37,271,624 units valued at $443,203,847 from 41 securities on Thursday.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 11.7 million shares for 55 percent of the day’s total volume followed Pulse Investments with 2.03 million units for 9.6 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Windfarm with 1.9 million units for 9 percent of the market’s volume. Other stocks trading more than one million shares were Carreras with 1.04 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.4 million units.
The Market closed with an average of 461,212 units valued at $2,228,467 for each security traded, in contrast to 909,064 units valued at an average of $10,809,850 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 728,184 units valued at $4,031,021 for each security changing hands, compared to 765,512 units valued at $4,319,932 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 seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.6, while the Main Market ended at 15 times 2020/21 earnings.
In the Main Market activity, Berger Paints gained $1.85 to close at $14, in trading 1,101 stock units, Caribbean Cement advanced $5.50 to $48, with 43,801 units changing hands, Eppley shed 75 cents exchanging 90,600 shares to finish at $17. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund closed $2.67 higher at $36, in swapping a mere ten stock units, First Rock Capital rose 50 cents to $11, with an exchange of 24,754 units. Jamaica Producers lost 35 cents transferring 9,128 shares and closed at $20.15,
Jamaica Stock Exchange ended $2.39 higher at $24.74, after swapping 16,514 units, JMMB Group closed at $39, with gains of $1 exchanging 73,496 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy soared $44 to $184, with 375 stock units crossing the exchange, 138 Student Living added 30 cents to reach $7, in transferring 52,564 units, Proven Investments fell $3.95 to $34.05, in swapping 185,350 shares. Sagicor Group closed $2.50 higher to $53.50, in an exchange of 60,754 units, Scotia Group gained 35 cents to finish at $47.95 after trading 20,574 stock units, Seprod declined by $2 to $47, with 101,771 shares changing hands. Supreme Ventures rose $1.99 to $18.99, in transferring 65,409 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 40 cents trading 153,409 shares and closed at $17.60 and Wisynco Group added 49 cents to end at $19.49, with 336,917 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the day’s last transaction unless otherwise stated.

The Market closed with an average of 909,064 units valued at $10,809,850 for each security traded, in contrast to 543,596 units valued at $2,706,411 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 765,512 units valued at $4,319,932 for each security changing hands, compared to 745,075 units valued at $3,238,279 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Portland JSX exchanged 16,000 units and rose 80 cents to end at $8.10. Proven Investments shed 50 cents to finish at $38, in swapping 3,000 shares, Sagicor Group picked up 50 cents to reach $51, with an exchange of 5,271,009 stock units, Salada Foods dropped $4.30 to close at $28.40 trading 121,898 shares. Seprod added $1 and closed at $49, after transferring 26,237 units, Supreme Ventures exchanged 201,920 shares after rising 99 cents to close at $17, Sygnus Credit Investments traded 147,833 shares and gained 50 cents to end at $18. Victoria Mutual Investments ended at $9, with gains of $1 after trading 858,125 shares and Wisynco Group closed $1.50 higher at $19, in exchanging 2,848,031 shares.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 5,606.53 points to 432,124.95, the JSE Market Index advanced 4,975.85 points to 393,629.79 and the JSE Financial Index gained 1.02 points to 106.63.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 10.3 million shares for 47.6 percent of total volume, Wigton Windfarm followed with 3 million units for 14 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 2.6 million units for 12 percent market share. Wisynco Group, the only other stock trading more than one million units, in exchanging 1.2 million shares.
The PE ratio of the overall market ended at 14.2, while the Main Market ended at 14.5 times 2020/21 earnings.
The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 936,106 units valued at $3,341,554 for each security changing hands, compared to 606,651 units valued at $3,006,358 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Mayberry lost 30 cents to close at $5.70, with 193,000 shares crossing the exchange, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $5 to close at $140 after trading 957 stock units. NCB Financial Group climbed $3 to $158, with 69,263 shares changing hands, 138 Student Living fell by $1.10 to $5.90 trading 10,400 units, PanJam Investment shed 97 cents to close at $75, with an exchange of 93,034 shares. Sagicor Group lost 75 cents to end at $49.75, after swapping 120,363 stock units, Salada Foods gained 48 cents to finish at $32.70, with 4,604 units changing hands, Supreme Ventures climbed $1.33 to $15.99, with an exchange of 112,333 shares. Victoria Mutual Investments ended the day at $7.70, after gaining 35 cents and transferring 293,021 shares and Wisynco Group added 61 cents to finish at $16, in trading 560,505 shares.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 10.4 million shares for 42 percent of total volume. Wigton Windfarm followed, with 8.5 million units for 34.6 percent of the day’s trade and Trans Jamaican Highway trading in the US dollar market accounted for 3.8 million units for the equivalent of 15.6 percent of the Main Market’s volume. Other stocks trading more than one million units were Sagicor Select Financial Fund, with 2.3 million shares and Wisynco Group with 1.3 million units.
First Rock Capital closed 40 cents lower at $9.60, with 50,007 shares crossing the exchange, Jamaica Broilers declined $3.52 to $29, with 48,411 shares changing hands, Jamaica Producers gained $1.04 to close at $20.15 transferring 15,332 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities closed $1.20 higher to reach $9.10, in trading 59,464 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy advanced by $5 to $145, with an exchange of 344 stock units, NCB Financial Group climbed $2.09 to $155 in swapping 37,820 shares. Sagicor Group added $1.75 to end at $50.50, with 89,434 shares changing hands, Salada Foods dropped $3.78 to finish at $32.22, after transferring 471 units, Seprod closed $1 lower to $48.50, with an exchange of 11,674 units. Stanley Motta shed 30 cents to end at $5.50 trading 22,100 units, Sterling Investments picked up 35 cents to close at $2.85, with a transfer of 145,739 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments lost $1.96 ended at $17.03, after exchanging 103,764 shares and Wisynco Group rose $1.49 to $15.39, in swapping 1,312,997 shares.
The JSE Market Index climbed 2,911.92 points to 380,510.48 and the JSE Financial Index adding just 0.30 points to 103.93.
Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Jamaica Producers fell by $2.31 to $18.70 after trading 35,872 shares, Jamaica Stock Exchange shed 50 cents to close at $22.50, with an exchange of 40,317 shares. JMMB Group closed 54 cents lower to $38, in swapping 171,356 shares, NCB Financial Group declined to $150.25, with a loss of $4.74 and trading 36,785 stock units. Proven Investments added 90 cents to finish at $37.50, with 11,664 units crossing the exchange, Scotia Group climbed $1.49 to $47.99 in transferring 18,664 units, Seprod closed 50 cents higher at $48, in exchanging 25,496 shares. Stanley Motta gained 80 cents in swapping 200 units and finished at $5.80, Supreme Ventures picked up 43 cents to end at $14, with 17,488 units changing hands, Sygnus Credit Investments closed at $18.90, with gains of $1.87 trading 12,280 stock units and Wisynco Group rose 60 cents to $13.90, with a transfer of 1,360,292 shares.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined 1,819.45 points to 414,283.45, the JSE Market Index dropped 1,643.55 points to 377,598.56, but the JSE Financial Index rose 0.33 points to 103.63.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.2, while the Main Market ended at 14.5 times 2020/21 earnings.
PanJam Investment ended at $78, with a loss of $1 trading 63,834 units. Portland JSX gained 70 cents exchanging 2,090 units and closed at $8, Proven Investments ended at $36.60, after climbing $1.60 and transferring 14,113 stock units, Sagicor Group closed $4.40 lower to $48, in swapping 101,381 shares. Salada Foods ended the day at $30, after gaining $1 trading 200 units, Scotia Group dropped $1.49 to finish at $46.50, with 29,841 units changing hands, Seprod added 50 cents to transferring 254,512 shares and closed at $47.50. Stanley Motta shed 75 cents with an exchange of 6,000 units to end at $5, Supreme Ventures gained 57 cents and closed at $13.57, in swapping 561,955 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments ended at $17.03, with a loss of 97 cents trading 99,934 units and Wisynco Group closed $1.39 lower to $13.30 exchanging 1,657,479 shares.
At the close of trading for March and the end of the first quarter of 2020, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index soared 15,152.90 points to 416,102.90, the JSE Market Index jumped 13,681.82 points to 379,242.11 and the JSE Financial Index gained 2.76 points to end at 103.30.
Trading in February resulted in an average of 624,731 units valued at $3,239,665 for each security.
Proven Investments ended at $35, after losing 94 cents while trading 36,309 shares. Pulse Investments added 32 cents to finish at $3.45, in transferring 17,162,610 shares, Sagicor Group leaped $8.40, in exchanging 341,368 shares and closed at $52.40, Salada Foods finished at $29, advancing $4 and trading 20,327 units. Scotia Group closed $3.98 higher at $47.99, with 155,932 shares changing hands, Seprod added $4.50 to end at $47, in swapping 51,191 units, Stanley Motta gained $1.14 exchanging 16,615 units and closed at $5.75. Supreme Ventures shed 50 cents to end at $13, with 177,935 shares traded, Sygnus Credit Investments ended at $18, with gains of $1.40 transferring 154,566 shares, Victoria Mutual Investments exchanged 560,714 shares at $7, after picking up 55 cents and Wisynco Group closed $1.44 higher at $14.69 after trading 501,240 shares.
Trading in February resulted in an average of 624,731 units valued at $3,239,665 for each security.
Kingston Wharves slid $1.50 to $42, trading 7,109 units, Mayberry Investments picked up 60 cents and closed at $5.60, with an exchange of 67,881 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities shed 36 cents with 16,100 units trading to end at $6.64. NCB Financial Group declined by $4 to close at $150, with 114,390 shares changing hands, 138 Student Living rose 81 cents to end at $5.50, in swapping a mere 86 units, Proven Investments ended at $35.94, after picking up 94 cents and transferring 35,465 shares. Pulse Investments ended at $3.13, with gains of 60 cents trading 1,882,701 shares, Sagicor Group dropped $2.60 to end at $44, with an exchange of 46,235 units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed $1.10 higher to $7.70 with the trading of just 1,901 units. Scotia Group a lost $3.49 and finished at $44.01 with 38,328 units changing hands, Seprod added $3.50 to end at $42.50, after transferring 73,476 units, Stanley Motta lost 39 cents swapping 1,000 units and closed at $4.61 and Supreme Ventures fell 49 cents to end at $13.50, with 253,252 shares traded.
Major uncertainties abound about the local and global economy and how each company may be affected. It is not possible to determine the exact fall out from the crisis and the impact on company earnings. Accordingly, actual earnings could vary materially from IC Insider.com’s forecast. In this regard, investors need to be alert to new information that will come to the fore on an ongoing basis and be prepared to adjust their investment decisions as time passes.
The Jamaica stock market suffered sustained pressure during March, leading to one of the most rapid falls in stock prices in the history of the market. In the past week, prices have bounced with the Main Market putting in strong gains on Thursday and Friday, but the market index is down by a sizeable 29.5 percent year to date.
The current year has changed markedly as the Corona Virus impact on countries worldwide has been significantly disruptive, inflicting significant damage to the individuals, businesses and economies. With the wipeout of fiscal deficits and debt to GDP set to be below 90 percent, the Jamaican economy is in a far better place than at the time of the 2008 crisis that severely tested the country and led to many measures that severely affected the economy from then until 2016.
The Group consists of Caribbean Producers, Dolphin Cove, Everything Fresh and Express Catering. Entertainment company Main Event and restaurant operator KLE Group will be hurt from patrons staying home as well as fewer tourists visiting Montego Bay and patronizing the restaurant in that town. Some major contributors to the tourism market are Grace, Jamaica Broilers and Wisynco. The results for some companies are hit by falling stock and bond prices. The results for the 2020 first quarter will show the impact of the recent market decline. The latter includes JMMB Group, Proven, NCB Financial Group, Barita Investments, VMBS Investments, Jamaican Teas, QWI Investments and Sagicor Group. Banks may have to increase loan loss provisions as businesses encounter cash flow problems and defaulting on loan payments.