In a sedate trading session on Thursday, the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed with modest activity, with 15 percent fewer shares changing hands than on Wednesday and ended with modest changes in the market index rising after more stocks advanced than declined.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dipped 55.38 points to 426,012.48, the Main Index gained 128.37 points to 388,746.14 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.08 points to settle at 100.17.
Trading ended with 43 securities changing hands compared to 42 on Wednesday and closed with prices of 19 stocks rising, 14 declining and 10 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio closed with an average of 16.9 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Traders exchanged 12,956,415 shares for $60,027,692 compared to 15,177,464 units at $53,121,465 on Wednesday. Wigton Windfarm led trading with 35.2 percent of total volume for 4.56 million shares, followed by Pulse Investments with 21.9 percent for 2.83 million units, Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 9.9 percent for 1.28 million units, Eppley 8.9 percent for 1.16 million units and QWI Investments with 1.11 million units for 8.6 percent market share.
Trading for the day averaged 301,312 units at $1,395,993 for each security compared to an average of 361,368 shares at $1,264,797 on Wednesday. Trading month to date averaged 346,427 units at $1,133,366, in contrast to 351,891 units at $1,101,554 on the prior trading day. Trading in December averaged 455,206 units at $7,774,631.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
At the close of business, Berger Paints shed 57 cents to settle at $13.50 after trading 35,788 shares, Caribbean Cement rose $3.35 to $63.50, with 2,890 stock units crossing the market, Eppley dropped $2.21 to $19.43, after exchanging 1,156,045 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund climbed $7 to close at $48, in trading 2,439 units. Jamaica Broilers rose 49 cents to $28 after crossing the market with 3,423 shares. Jamaica Producers gained 23 cents to end at $20, with an exchange of 6,713 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange shed 35 cents to settle at $18.95, trading 1,166 stock units, JMMB Group shed 49 cents in closing at $32.51, with 127,806 shares changing hands. 
Kingston Properties rose 50 cents to $7.25, in exchanging 1,000 units, Kingston Wharves gained 35 cents to $47.50 in exchanging 1,100 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $7.47 to $150 after transferring 250 units, NCB Financial rose 50 cents to $140, trading 12,328 stocks. Pan Jam Investment advanced $5.84 to $71.94, with 270 units changing hands, Scotia Group gained 50 cents to close at $43 after exchanging 7,800 stock units and Seprod climbed $2.20 to $64.20, in trading 13,586 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with six securities changing hands, compared to four on Wednesday and ended with prices of three rising, one declining and two remaining unchanged.
First Rock Capital Investment gained 1 cent to end at 8 US cents after 2,400 shares cross the market, Proven Investments stayed at 25.59 US cents with the 20 units changing hands, Sterling Investments climbed 0.02 of a cent to 2.02 US cents with the swapping of 3,208 stocks. Sygnus Credit Investments fell 0.45 of a cent to 16.5 US cents with an exchange of 3,000 units and Transjamaican Highway remained at 0.95 of a US cent in switching ownership of 1,070 shares.
Trading averaged 372,767 units at $961,909 down from 522,016 at $1,293,410 on Wednesday. The month to date trade averaged 211,281 units at $526,115 versus 192,249 units at $474,753 on Wednesday. December ended with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 20 cents to $4 with 281,948 stocks changing hands, Limners and Bards traded 398,818 stock units after rising 15 cents to finish at $2.80, Lumber Depot rose 6 cents to $1.55 with a transfer of 299,471 units. Mailpac Group exchanged 2,472,264 shares and gained 40 cents to close at a record high of $3.60, Main Event dropped 24 cents to $3 with 4,591 units passing through the market, Medical Disposables fell 10 cents to $4.10 with 86 stocks changing hands. SSL Venture rose 5 cents to 55 with a transfer of 20,500 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies lost 39 cents to close at $4.11 in trading 2,982 shares and Tropical Battery slipped 4 cents to $1.14 with 89,040 units crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 14 securities changing hands with the prices of four stocks rising, four declining and six remaining unchanged. At the close of the market, the Composite Index climbed 3.43 points to settle at 1,331.71, the All T and T Index rose 7.60 points to settle at 1,786.31, the Cross Listed Index advanced 6.97 points to settle at 97.06 and
National Flour Mills advanced 10 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.30 with 43,000 stock units clearing the market, One Caribbean Media gained 3 cents to close at $4.85 in exchanging 3,000 shares, Republic Financial Holdings advanced $3.50 to $140 in exchanging 10 stock units. Scotiabank ended at $58, with 51,785 units crossing the exchange, Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost $1.39 and ending at $15.11 with an exchange of 10,002 stock units, Unilever Caribbean settled at $16.70, with 12,000 stock units changing hands and West Indian Tobacco closed at $35.35 finishing, with an exchange of 210,174 stock units.
Trading ended with 38 securities changing hands compared to 36 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 14 stocks rising, 15 declining and nine ending firm and edging the Junior Market Index down 8.77 points to 2,647.80 for the second day of slippage after Mailpac ended at a new record closing high after it traded as high as $3.30 during the day.
Trading averaged 522,016 units at $1,293,410, in contrast to 103,836 at $260,918 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averaged 192,249 units at $474,753 compared to 140,467 units at $346,204 on Tuesday. December closed with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Indies Pharma fell 24 cents to $2.31, with 204,285 stock units changing hands, Jamaican Teas gained 5 cents in closing at $2.35, in an exchange of 1,075,935 stock units. Knutsford Express lost 22 cents in ending at $6.58 trading 3,042 shares, Lasco Manufacturing lost 9 cents to settle at $3.80, in transferring 37,045 units, Mailpac Group closed 19 cents higher at $3.20, in switching ownership of 1,064,465 stock units. Main Event rose 27 cents to $3.24, after crossing the market with 150 stock units, SSL Venture lost 5 cents to settle at 50 cents, with an exchange of 83,250 stocks and Tropical Battery gained 6 cents to close at $1.18, trading 11,043 shares.
Four securities changed hands, compared to six on Tuesday and trading ended with two stocks rising, one declining and one remaining unchanged.
At the close of trading, Margaritaville traded 2,152 shares and closed at 11 US cents, Proven Investments rose 2.59 cents ending at 25.59 US cents, with 586 stock units changing hands, Sygnus Credit Investments fell 0.05 cents to 16.95 US cents after 157,556 stock units cleared the market and Transjamaican Highway climbed 0.09 cents to end at 0.95 US cents in exchanging 209,800 shares.
Scotiabank closed at $58 while exchanging 1,275 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL gained $1.30 to close at $16.50 in an exchange of 7,002 units, Trinidad Cement gained 10 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.35 with an exchange of 10,000 stock units. Unilever Caribbean stayed at $16.70 with an exchange of 55 stock units, West Indian Tobacco ended at $35.35 in exchanging 31,706 shares and Calypso Macro Investment Fund rose $1 to $15 after exchanging 1,938 shares.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Limners and Bards advanced 7 cents to $2.65 after switching ownership of 22,278 stocks, Lumber Depot added 5 cents to settle at $1.52 with 7,000 units changing hands. Mailpac Group exchanged 647,751 shares and gained 6 cents to close at a record closing high of $3.01, Medical Disposables fell 7 cents to $4.20 trading 105 units and tTech shed 74 cents to end at $4.16 with 11,969 shares crossing the exchange.
The All Jamaican Composite Index slumped 3,448.73 points to 427,800.39, the Main Index dropped 3,105.44 points to close at 390,255.61 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 1.17 points to settle at 101.03.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Pulse Investments lost 30 cents to end at $4.45, with investors swapping 2,607,378 shares, Sagicor Group rose 85 cents to end at $50.35 after trading 10,629 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund declined by $1.95 to $6.30, as investors swapped 10,000 shares and Salada Foods fell $2.75 to $26, with 871 units crossing the market.
Trading ended with six securities changing hands, compared up from four on Monday with no stock rising, four declining and two remaining unchanged.
At the market close, First Rock Capital Investment carved out a loss of 1.89 cents in closing at 7 US cents after 101,000 stock units cleared the market, Sterling Investments shed 0.4 of a cent, ending at 2 US cents in an exchange of 48,000 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments settled at 17 US cents after exchanging 21,686 stocks and Transjamaican Highway shed 0.04 of a cent to close at 0.86 of a US cent in finishing trading with 779,120 units.
