The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main market closed ahead of the month-end on a positive note with the market index rising after NCB Financial Group put on $8 to recover some of its recent losses.
NCB Financial bounced $8 on Wednesday and helped to lift the JSE market index.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index 4,251.05 points to 397,572.10, the JSE Market Index dropped 3,892.00 points to close at 362,404.98 and the JSE Financial Index rose 1.87 points to 97.36.
The market closed with 44 securities changing hands in the Main and US dollar markets with prices of 12 stocks advancing, 22 declining and ten securities trading firm. The JSE Main Market activity ended with 37 securities accounting for 7,206,423 units valued at $124,023,333, in contrast to 96,137,935 units valued at $316,661,417 from 36 securities on Tuesday.
Trans Jamaican Highway led trading with 1.9 million shares for 26.5 percent of total volume followed by QWI Investments with 995,244 units for 13.8 percent of the day’s trade and Pulse Investments with 851,165 units for 12 percent market share.
The Market closed with an average of 194,768 units valued $3,351,979 for each security traded, in contrast to 2,670,498 units valued at an average of $8,796,150 on Tuesday.
The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 1,033,414 units valued at $3,863,268 for each security changing hands, compared to 1,073,044 units valued at $3,888,297 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 eleven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six stocks closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 13.8, while the Main Market ended at 14.1 times 2020-21 earnings.
In the Main Market, Caribbean Cement gained 99 cents to close at $45.99, with a transfer of 27,975 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced by $2.99 to $36, in trading 808 units, First Rock Capital closed 75 cents lower to $11.25, after exchanging 11,226 units. Grace Kennedy fell $1.69 swapping 9,077 units to end at $55.20, Jamaica Broilers finished at $25, with a loss of $1.10 in transferring 275,520 shares, Jamaica Producers shed 75 cents to settle at $18, with 132,079 shares changing hands.
Key Insurance raked in 95 cents to reach a record high of $6.50, with a transfer of 25,094 stock units, Mayberry Investments lost 30 cents trading 3,413 units and closed at $5.50, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $2 to $149, after swapping 420 units. NCB Financial Group recovered $8 of the recent losses to close at $146, trading 437,464 shares, PanJam Investment closed $1 lower at $75, in exchanging 317,961 shares, Proven Investments declined $2.40 to finish at $35.10, with 44,783 stock units changing hands. Scotia Group fell $2 to $41, after transferring 33,448 stock units, Seprod picked up $1.50 to close at $43.50, in trading 8,215 units and Stanley Motta gained 30 cents to end the day at $5, with 15,000 units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Market activity resulted in seven securities changing hands, with one stock rising, four declining and two left unchanged. Investors exchanged 990,048 units valued at $72,533, in contrast to just 314,331 shares valued US$4,048 on Tuesday.
Firm Trades│ Ansa Merchant Bank traded 1,168 units and closed at $36.30, Clico Investments ended at $22.50, with an exchange of 102,745 shares, Endeavour Holdings held firm at $12.51, in transferring 75 units. First Citizens Bank traded 2,797 units at $39.40, Guardian Media swapped 957 units at $6.40, Massy Holdings closed at $50, with 118 units crossing the market. NCB Financial ended at $8, in exchanging 18,000 shares, Republic Financial Holdings swapped a mere eight units at $132.65, Trinidad & Tobago NGL remained at $16.90, in trading 583 units and Unilever Caribbean was unchanged at $17.05, after 1,271 units changed hands.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined 11,964.17 on Monday, fell a further by 13,352.19 points to close at 393,321.05. The JSE Market Index dropped 12,250.06 points on top of the 10,830.61 points fall on Monday to 358,512.98 and the JSE Financial Index lost 4.24 points to 95.49. The losses pushed the year to date loss to 30 percent, for main market stocks and ahead of the Junior Market that is down by 28 percent for the year.
The Market closed with an average of 2,670,498 units valued at an average of $8,796,150 for each security traded, in contrast to 467,969 units valued at an average of $2,080,475 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 1,073,044 units valued at $3,888,797 for each security changing hands, compared to 996,058 units valued at $3,638,209 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Key Insurance added 35 cents to finish at a 52 weeks’ high of $5.55, after swapping 91,058 shares. Kingston Properties ended at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.50, with a loss of $1.50 after a transfer of 56,639 stock units, Mayberry Investments gained 60 cents trading 28,831 units and closed at $5.80, NCB Financial Group fell $2 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $138, with an exchange of 276,121 shares. PanJam Investment closed 50 cents higher to $76 after 482,161 shares changed hands, Proven Investments declined to $37.50, after losing $1.35 transferring 359 units, Sagicor Group closed $1 lower to $45, in swapping 73,341 shares. Scotia Group traded $2 lower to end at $43, with an exchange of 255,788 shares and Seprod ended with a loss of $2.60 to close at $42, in trading 101,200 shares.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows one stock ended with bids higher than its last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Lasco Distributors shed 3 cents in trading of 43,601 units at $2.95, Lasco Financial closed market activity with 14,650 units crossing the exchange and gained 4 cents to end at $2.92. Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 32,261 shares and rose 2 cents to end at $3.90, Limners and Bards fell 6 cents to $1.94 in trading of 12,443 units, Lumber Depot declined 2 cents in swapping 4,795,516 units to finish at $1.13. Mailpac Group ended activity 1 cent higher at $1.76 with 1,472,663 shares traded, Main Event climbed 5 cents to settle at $1.19 with 1,880,010 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables exchanged 114,000 shares and rose 54 cents to end at $5.55. Stationery and Office Supplies closed with a loss of 50 cents at $6 in the swapping of 67,329 shares and tTech shred 77 cents to settle at $3.98 with 238,233 shares crossing the exchange.
At the close of trading, the T&T Composite Index declined by 3.77 points to 1,267.35. The All T&T Index was down 4.60 points to 1,669.15, while the Cross Listed Index lost 0.40 points to close at 117.13.
First Citizens Bank exchanged 374 units at $39.40. JMMB Group swapped 107,435 shares at $1.95, Prestige Holdings closed at $7.50, with 500 units changing hands, Republic Financial Holdings was unchanged at $132.65, after transferring 46,138 shares. Scotiabank exchanged 4,376 stock units at $54.75, Trinidad Cement ended at $1.90, in swapping 35 units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL finished at $16.90, in trading 5,289 stock units, Unilever Caribbean closed at $17.05, with a transfer of 2,500 units and West Indian Tobacco remained at $30.90, after an exchange of 194 units.
Market activity resulted in three securities changing hands, with one stock rising, one declining and one left unchanged. Investors exchanged 314,331 shares with a value of US$4,048, in contrast to just 18,205 units for US$623 on Monday. Proven Investments, one of the most popular and liquid stock in the market, has not traded for a second consecutive trading day.
The Market closed with an average of 467,969 units valued $2,080,475 for each security traded, in contrast to 410,412 units valued at an average of $2,124,137 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 996,058 units valued at $3,638,209 for each security changing hands, compared to 1,025,936 units valued at $3,731,907 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Key Insurance gained 30 cents after exchanging 46,773 stock units and closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $5.20, Mayberry Investments shed 35 cents to settle at $5.20, with a transfer of 202,000 shares. NCB Financial Group plunged $12 to end at $140, in trading 163,821 shares in reaction to the suspension of dividend payments by banks, mandated by Bank of Jamaica. PanJam Investment fell $1.85 to $75.50, with 1,760 units changing hands, Sagicor Group closed $3.37 lower in reaction to the suspension of dividends announced by Jamaica Central Bank and finished at $46, after trading 101,069 shares. Scotia Group also reacted negatively to the dividend suspension dropping $2 lower to end at $45, with 66,944 stock units crossing the exchange, Seprod fell $3.20 to $44.60, in transferring 2,255 units and Sygnus Credit Investments closed at $15.99, shedding 95 cents trading 23,433 stock units.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
KLE Group fell 10 cents in trading of 50,000 units to finish at $1.60. Lasco Distributors closed trading of 2,323 units and gained 1 cent to end at $2.98, Lasco Financial lost 7 cents in trading 10,995 shares to close at $2.88, Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 9,020 shares to settle at $3.88 after falling 2 cents. Limners and Bards dipped 1 cent to $2 with 5,446 stock units changing hands, Lumber Depot ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.15 with 297,770 units trading, MailPac Group swapped 8,166,074 shares and rose 7 cents to end at $1.75. Medical Disposables fell 49 cents to $5.01 with 160,455 shares exchanged, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 40 cents and traded 582 shares to close at $6.50 and tTech climbed 54 cents to $4.75 with 2,000 shares crossing the exchange.
Market activity resulted in five securities changing hands, with one stock rising, two declining and two remaining unchanged. At the close, the market index lost 3.50 points to 190.18 and the average PE ratio ended at 13.1 times 2020 earnings.
