The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock exchange closed out May on a high note with the market prime indices rising appreciably to close out the month with a gain of five percent but closed with a loss of 25 percent for the year to date.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 4,018.59 points to 420,847.85, the JSE Market Index advanced 3,762.78 points to 383,649.98 and the JSE Financial Index gained 1.12 points to 100.80. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.5, while the Main Market ended at 14.8 times 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 49 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 22 stocks advancing, 16 declining and 11 securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 45 securities accounting for 109,379,530 units valued at $203,610,322, in contrast to 21,505,791 units valued at $167,719,708 from 40 securities on Thursday.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 80 million shares for 73 percent of total volume followed by Trans Jamaican Highway with 24 million units for 22 percent of the day’s trade and QWI Investments with 1.5 million units for 1.4 percent market share. Also, trading over a million units was Sagicor Select Financial Fund, with 1.15 million units.
The average trade for the day was 2,430,656 units at $4,524,674 for each security traded, in contrast to 537,645 units at an average of $4,192,993 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date ended at 475,543 units at $3,077,280 for each security changing hands, compared to 369,670 units with an average of $2,994,834. Trading in April resulted in an average of 1,077,021 units valued at $3,829,201 for each security.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows seventeen stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three stocks closing with lower offers.
In the Main Market, Barita Investments shed 60 cents to end at $50.40, with a transfer of 171,676 shares, Caribbean Cement gained $1 exchanging 34,628 stock units and closed at $52, Eppley ended $1 higher at $17.99, with 35,848 stock units changing hands. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund jumped $5 to $38 after swapping a mere one unit, First Rock Capital shed 40 cents to settle at $12.60, in transferring 2,741 units, Jamaica Producers closed 70 cents lower at $20.10 trading 423,052 shares. 
Jamaica Stock Exchange gained $1.57 and ended at $22.57, exchanging 105,212 shares, Kingston Properties dropped $1.50 to finish at $4.80, after swapping 40,000 stock units, Kingston Wharves climbed $2.99 to $57.99 transferring 9,590 units. Mayberry Investments lost 40 cents to end at $5.60 trading 14,908 units, Palace Amusement shed another $100 to close at $1,100, in an exchange of 83 units, Salada Foods gained 50 cents swapping 191,208 shares and closed at $29. Scotia Group advanced by $1 to $46, with 17,902 stock units changing hands, Stanley Motta picked up 80 cents to settle at $5.50, after transferring 31,500 stock units, Supreme Ventures gained 30 cents exchanging 40,864 stock units and closed at $14.80 and Sygnus Credit Investments ended trading at $17.32, after rising 36 cents and swapping 7,512 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close of market activities, the prices of 13 securities advanced, 10 declined and eight remained unchanged. The Junior Market Index advanced by 4.54 points to close at 2,632.97 and the average PE ratio of the market ended at 9.5 times 2020-21 earnings.
Knutsford Express ended at $8.95, after rising $1.45 and trading 20,792 shares, Lasco Distributors closed with a loss of 20 cents at $2.95 after swapping 92,095 shares, Lasco Manufacturing closed trading of 1,186,538 shares and gained 40 cents to end at $4.90 (See note at the foot of this story). Limners and Bards rose 2 cents and exchanged 34,476 shares at $1.84. Mailpac Group closed with a loss of 2 cents at $1.86while trading 792,156 shares, Medical Disposables ended market activity, exchanging 4,114 stock units to settle at $6.90 after falling 10 cents and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 6 cents in trading 97,229 shares at $6.21.
The US dollar market activity resulted in four securities changing hands, down from six on Thursday and ended with one declining and three stock closing unchanged. Investors traded 105,523 units at US$10,755, in contrast to 232,148 units for US$6,140 on Thursday.
Losers│ Massy Holdings shed 99 cents to close at $57.99 as 33 units changed hands and One Caribbean Media finished at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.25, with a loss of 25 cents after exchanging 20,855 stock units.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 1,262.37 points to 416,829.26, the JSE Market Index fell 1,326.12 points to 379,887.20 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.90 points to 99.68. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.4, while the Main Market ended at 14.6 times 2020-21 earnings.
The average trade for the day was 537,645 units at $4,192,993 each, in contrast to 419,045 units for $3,608,829 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 369,670 units valued at $2,994,834 for each security changing hands, compared to 361,176 units with an average value of $2,930,932. Trading in April resulted in an average of 1,077,021 units valued at $3,829,201 for each security.
MPC Caribbean Clean Energy tumbled $16 to $160 trading 1,501 units, NCB Financial Group climbed $1.01 to end at $148, with 476,923 shares changing hands. 138 Student Living gained 81 cents and transferred 71,160 stock units in closing at $7.50, Palace Amusement dived $100 to end at $1,200 trading 144 units, Sagicor Group rose 39 cents to $46.40 exchanging 34,761 stock units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund added 84 cents to finish at $7.94, with 600 units changing hands, Seprod climbed $1.39 to close at $54.95, in trading 141,419 shares and Supreme Ventures slid $1.20 transferring 1,674,041 shares and closed at $14.50.
At the end of market activities on Thursday, 29 securities changing hands, with the prices of 12 securities advanced, 12 declined and five remained unchanged. The PE ratio of the market ended at 9.3 times 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market, Access Financial shed 49 cents in trading of 1,000 units to settle at $22.51, AMG Packaging declined by 25 cents to $1.50 with 2,200 units changing hands, 
Jetcon Corporation fell 9 cents and closed at 80 cents after swapping 50,000 shares. 
At the close of market activity, six securities changed hands, down from five on Wednesday. Trading ended with the prices of two stocks rising, one declining and three remaining unchanged. Just 232,148 shares changed hands at US$6,140, in contrast to 253,911 units for US$25,811 on Wednesday.
Massy Holdings fell $1.02 to $58.98, with a transfer of 2,207 units and Scotiabank closed at $54.75, with a loss of 24 cents in exchanging 500 units.
At the close of the market, Access Financial shed 25 cents in the exchange of 47,605 units to end at $23, Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 15 cents to $2.30 with 5,834 shares changing hands, Caribbean Cream slipped 3 cents and traded 4,900 shares to close at $2.72. Caribbean Flavours ended 2 cents lower at $10 in an exchange of 1,276,041 stock units, Derrimon Trading declined by 22 cents and exchanged 211,000 shares to settle at $2.50, Dolphin Cove rose by 25 cents to $7.25 in swapping 1,545 units. Elite Diagnostic ended at $3.35 after falling 5 cents and trading 24,942 shares, Everything Fresh declined by 5 cents in the swapping of 116,123 stock units to close at 75 cents, Express Catering leaped 99 cents to $4.51 in the exchange of 29,558 shares. Fontana closed at $5.95 after climbing 35 cents and trading 507,948 stock units, Fosrich fell 15 cents in the trade of 11,795 units to close at $3.85, 
Knutsford Express jumped 28 cents to $8.98 with 36,752 units changing hands. Lasco Distributors dropped 17 cents to $2.73, with 34,238 shares crossing the exchange, Lasco Financial slipped 5 cents and exchanged 198,900 shares to end at $2.65, Lasco Manufacturing traded a volume leading 6,099,978 units to close at $4.01 after inching 1 cent higher. Limners and Bards increased by 20 cents in swapping 410,000 units to end at $1.95, Lumber Depot finished 1 cent lower at $1.13 with 88,045 shares changing hands, 
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 2,732.71 points to 418,091.63, the JSE Market Index dropped 2,473.80 points to 381,213.32 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.29 points to 100.58.
Trading in April resulted in an average of 1,077,021 units valued at $3,829,201 for each security.
NCB Financial Group slipped 50 cents to end at $146.99, after swapping 318,361 shares, Palace Amusement advanced $100 to end at $1,300 while trading 80 units. PanJam Investment closed at $75.01, with a loss of 74 cents after exchanging 34,676 stock units, Proven Investments fell 99 cents to finish at $35, in swapping 26,455 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund ended 84 cents lower at $7.10, with 105,300 shares changing hands. Salada Foods declined $1.50 to $28.50 after 15,492 stock units changed hands, Seprod lost 44 cents to close at $53.56, in trading 51,316 stock units, Stanley Motta finished at $4.70, having lost 35 cents in swapping 12,264 units. Supreme Ventures ended at $15.70, with a rise of 70 cents in exchanging 645,967 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments gained 79 cents with 38,427 stock units crossing the exchange and closed at $16.99.
