Friday’s trading completed the ninth trading day without a decline in the market of on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, with the All Jamaican Composite Index advancing 277.45 points to 442,290.57, the Main Index rising 205.25 points to 402,842.60 and the JSE Financial Index adding just 0.22 points to settle at 100.44 on a day with an 80 percent increase in volume and 38 percent in the values traded compared to that on Thursday.
A total of 52 securities traded, up from 49 on Thursday, with prices of 22 rising, 19 declining and 11 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio, based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings, averages 16.1.
Investors traded 14,183,739 shares for $110,730,479, up from 7,901,235 units at $80,463,111 on Thursday. Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 26.5 percent of total volume trading 3.76 million shares followed by Transjamaican Highway 26.1 percent with 3.71 million units and Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 6.8 percent for 969,742 units.
Trading averaged 272,764 units at $2,129,432, compared to 161,250 shares at $1,642,104 on Thursday. Month to date trading averages 236,024 units at $1,554,972, in contrast to 232,142 units at $1,509,917 on Thursday. March averaged 354,304 units at $2,543,232.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has five stocks ending with bids higher than the last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments gained 29 cents to close at $86.30, with 96,888 shares crossing the market. Berger Paints shed 50 cents and ended at $12.70 in the trading of 6,364 units, Caribbean Cement dropped $2.25 to finish at $73 after a transfer of 17,161 stocks, Eppley fell $2.76 to $32 with an exchange of 864 units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund climbed $4 to $44 after a transfer of 58 stocks, Grace Kennedy rose $1 to $88 with 137,798 stocks clearing the market, Jamaica Producers slipped 25 cents to settle at $28 in transferring 9,365 stock units. JMMB Group rose 99 cents to $32.99 with 504,378 shares changing hands, Margaritaville dropped $3 to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $28 in trading 500 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy gained 45 cents to close at $128 in an exchange of 93 shares, NCB Financial Group climbed $1.45 to $140 with the swapping of 26,540 stock units. 138 Student Living declined 40 cents to $5 with 2 stocks changing hands, PanJam Investment declined 60 cents to $63, with 504,975 stocks clearing the market, Proven Investments advanced 94 cents to $37.99 with investors switching ownership of 14,843 stocks, Sagicor Group shed 50 cents to close at $50 with 100,348 stocks crossing the exchange, Salada Foods picked up 30 cents to end at $6.50, with 174,920 shares changing hands, Scotia Group closed 34 cents higher at $41.90 after exchanging 27,609 stock units and Seprod fell 30 cents to $82.50 with 12,264 stock units changing hands.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group 7.25% advanced 37 cents to $2.83 in an exchange of just one share.
Closing prices are those for the last transaction of each stock traded unless otherwise stated.