Trading picked dropped sharply on Wednesday, leading to a 50 percent fall in the volume of stocks passing through the exchange worth 58 percent less than Tuesday’s trades on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, but the market continued its advance to the highest level since it closed at 2,922.18 on February 27, last year.
The Junior Market Index rose 10.75 points to close at 2,918.23 to be up 10.4 percent for the year to date. Early in the morning session, the index hit a 2,949.48 points level that is higher than the close on February 21, last year.
Trading ended with 39 securities down from 41 on Tuesday, with 18 rising, 13 declining and eight remaining unchanged.
The average PE Ratio ends at 15.8 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors traded 6,761,477 shares for $17,884,137 compared to 13,487,893 units at $42,784,456 on Tuesday.
Derrimon Trading led the market with 16.8 percent of total volume with 1.14 million shares, followed by Tropical Battery with 13.1 percent or 886,995 units and Caribbean Flavours with 11 percent and 741,946 stock units.
Trading averaged 173,371 units at $458,568 in contrast to 328,973 at $1,043,523 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 363,591 units at $903,906, down from 376,123 units at $933,244 on Tuesday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial shed $2.50 to end at $21 with an exchange of 4,599 stock units, AMG Packaging rose 17 cents to $1.80 with 11,341 stocks changing hands, Caribbean Cream rose 5 cents to $4.70 with 4,485 shares passing through the market. Caribbean Flavours rose 5 cents to $2, trading 741,946 units, Caribbean Producers dropped 47 cents to $3.53 with a transfer of 232,034 stocks, Express Catering fell 12 cents to $3.50 with investors switching ownership of 47,207 stock units. Fontana gained 7 cents to close at $6.07 with an exchange of 310,702 units, Fosrich rose 10 cents to $4.30 with 60,214 shares changing hands, General Accident slipped 5 cents to $5.50 with 31,100 shares passing through the market. iCreate advanced 16 cents to 81 cents with 691,952 shares traded, Indies Pharma dropped 15 cents to $3.25 with a transfer of 538,426 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance declined 5 cents to $3.70 with an exchange of 624 units. ISP Finance jumped $3.30 to $25.30 with 59 shares changing hands, KLE Group gained 7 cents to close at $1.40 with 3,345 shares passing through the market, Knutsford Express shed 62 cents to $6.18 trading 3,500 stocks. 
Lasco Distributors climbed 22 cents to $3.87 with a transfer of 136,000 shares, Lasco Financial rose 10 cents to $2.60 with an exchange of 19,750 units, Lasco Manufacturing fell 12 cents to $4.26 with 282,351 units changing hands. Mailpac Group gained 13 cents to finish at $3.62 with 480,450 stock units passing through the market, Main Event fell 27 cents to $3.30, trading 9 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies increased by 18 cents to settle at $4.53 with a transfer of 300 stock units and tTech advanced 20 cents to close at $4.90 with 4,201 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with stocks playing hopscotch, one day up one day down, on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market, with the market declining after almost the same number of stocks rose as fell. The value of trading climbed 202 percent, with only 23 percent more shares exchanged than on Monday.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 24.1 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 4.88 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund 16.9 percent with 3.41 million units, Wigton Windfarm 11.3 percent for 2.29 million units. QWI Investments ended with 9.8 percent of the day’s trade for 1.99 million units, Ciboney Group 7.1 percent for 1.44 million units, Sagicor Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 6 percent for 1.22 million units and Grace Kennedy with 5.2 percent market share for 1.05 million units.
138 Student Living rose 45 cents to $6.50 after exchanging 8,916 units, PanJam Investment shed 50 cents to end at $65, in switching ownership of 43,014 shares, Proven Investments lost 33 cents to $37.20 trading 11,441 stock units, Sagicor Group fell 70 cents to $51 with 20,215 stocks clearing the market. Salada Foods advanced $2.99 to $39.99, with the swapping of 40,380 units, Scotia Group declined by $1.25 to $41.75, after exchanging 132,995 shares, Seprod shed $1 in closing at $68 with 3,164 stock units changing hands. Sygnus Credit Investments fell $1.10 to $14.50, in exchanging 51,037 units and Wisynco Group shed 95 cents to close at $15.55, with 94,561 shares changing hands.
Trading ended with six securities changing hands at the close, compared to four on Monday and closed with the prices of two stocks rising, three declining and one remaining unchanged, with the JSE USD Equity Index gaining 0.54 points to end at 196.61. The PE Ratio averages 13.6 based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of trading, First Rock Capital added 0.01 of a cent to close at 9 US cents in trading 31,935 shares, Proven Investments shed 0.15 of a cent to 25.85 US cents trading 18,047 units. Sygnus Credit Investments dropped 0.45 of a cent to close at 14.50 US cents, with 3,358 shares crossing the exchange and Transjamaican Highway squeezed out a gain of 0.01 of a cent to end at 0.95 US cents, in switching ownership of 203,258 stocks.
JMMB Group slipped 2 cents to $1.85, with an exchange of 10,000 stock units, Massy Holdings ended at $63 trading 73,723 units, National Enterprises lost 2 cents to close at $3.10 in swapping 400 stock units. National Flour Mills traded 50,000 shares at $2.35, NCB Financial Group ended at $8.50 in trading 2,000 stock units, One Caribbean Media ended at $4.81, with 600 units changing hands. Point Lisas closed at $3.01 after transferring 500 stocks, Republic Financial Holdings remained at $135 after 2,971 shares crossed the exchange, Scotiabank finished at $56 with 21,473 shares switching owners. Trinidad Cement shed 25 cents to $3.50, with the swapping of 23,846 stock units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost 10 cents to close at $15, after trading 2,000 units and Unilever Caribbean lost 8 cents, ending at a 52 weeks’ low of $16.25 in transferring 66 units.
Trading averaged 328,973 units at $1,043,523 well upon 150,842 at $445,771 on Monday. The month to date averaged 376,123 units at $933,244, close to the 379,631 units at $925,038 on Monday. Trading in January averaged 232,651 units at $569,885.
Jetcon Corporation gained 13 cents to 79 cents, with 145,898 shares changing hands, KLE Group picked up 17 cents at $1.33 after a transfer of 749 stock units, Lasco Distributors gained 5 cents to end at $3.65, in swapping 28,720 stocks. Lasco Financial lost 20 cents to close at $2.50, trading 135,748 units, Lasco Manufacturing shed 35 cents to end at $4.38, with an exchange of 33,412 shares, Mailpac Group lost 15 cents to close at $3.49, in trading 665,514 units. Main Event shed 42 cents to end at $3.03 after crossing the market with 14,500 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies ended 18 cents lower at $4.35 in the transfer of 25,000 stock units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Medical Disposables shed 25 cents in ending at $4.20, with 103,359 stock units crossing the market, Paramount Trading dipped 21 cents to $1.29 trading 8,970 stocks and tTech advanced 59 cents to $4.70, trading 3,369 shares.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index gained 1,612.03 points to 430,576.51, the Main Index climbed 1,458.81 points to 392,702.80 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.87 points to settle at 100.46.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Seprod climbed $2.15 to $69, with 16,385 stock units changing hands, Stanley Motta lost 25 cents in closing at $5.20 trading 418 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments rose $1.17 to $15.60, in transferring 69,924 stocks.
Trading ended with four securities changing hands, down from seven on Friday, ending with three rising and one declining, with the JSE USD Equity Index gaining 3.99 points to 196.07. The PE Ratio averages 13.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital gained 0.09 of a cent in closing at 8.99 US cents, with 153,079 stock units crossing the market, Proven Investments rose 0.01 of a cent to close at 26 US cents trading 48,631 shares. Sterling Investments lost 0.19 of a cent at 2.20 US cents after trading 24,343 stocks and Transjamaican Highway rose 0.03 of a cent in closing at 0.94 of a US cents after switching ownership of 231,257 shares.
Massy Holdings climbed 55 cents to $63 trading of 2,117 stock units, National Enterprises rose 1 cent to $3.12 trading 200 stock units, National Flour Mills fell 1 cent to $2.35 exchanging 52,572 units. NCB Financial Group settled at $8.50 trading 8,042 stock units, Republic Financial Holdings rose 5 cents to $135 after 55,042 shares crossed the exchange, Scotiabank ended at $56 in swapping 3,234 units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL shed 44 cents to $15.10 in an exchange of 901 shares, Unilever Caribbean declined 16 cents, ending at a 52 weeks’ low of $16.33 in switching ownership of 13,373 units and West Indian Tobacco rose $1.75 to $34.85 and trading 2,320 stock units.
Trading averaged 244,928 units at $1,247,943, compared to 240,393 shares at $954,393 on Thursday. The month to date averaged 388,213 units at $2,506,158 in contrast to 399,327 units at $2,608,760 on Thursday. Trading in January averaged 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Scotia Group dropped $1 to $41 after exchanging 88,740 units, Seprod declined $2.15 to $66.85, with the swapping of 20,321 shares, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 47 cents to end at $14.43, with 26,619 stock units crossing the exchange. Victoria Mutual Investments closed 50 cents lower at $5.30, with 325,640 stocks changing hands.
