Stocks dropped on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday and resulted in market indices plunging at the close of the market with the volume of stocks traded remaining subdued with 30 percent less volume passing through the market compared to Tuesday as funds entering the market remained steady.
Trading ended with 57 securities compared to 55 on Tuesday, with 21 rising, 24 declining and 12 ending unchanged. At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index shed 3,397.23 points to 416,853.91, the JSE Main Index dropped 1,624.03 points to close at 367,199.58 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.27 points to settle at 87.90.
Overall, 6,419,042 shares were exchanged for $56,245,124 compared to 9,160,573 units at $56,371,792 on Tuesday. Trading averages 112,615 units at $986,757, compared to 166,556 shares at $1,024,942 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 195,870 units at $1,341,170, compared to 210,121 units at $1,401,836 on the previous trading day. July closed with an average of 173,643 units at $1,683,017.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 1.50 million shares for 23.4 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 1.15 million units for 17.9 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 783,984 units for 12.2 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 13.7 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on ICInsider.com’s forecasted earnings for companies with financial years ending up to the close of August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints lost 44 cents ending at $11.40 after exchanging 7,203 shares, Caribbean Cement slipped 29 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of 58.70 after an exchange of 23,078 shares, Caribbean Producers dropped 49 cents to end at $13.50 while trading 82,997 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund declined $2.10 in closing at $42.90, with 2,811 stocks crossing the market. GraceKennedy gained $2.50 to end at $98.50, with 89,742 units changing hands, Guardian Holdings climbed $73.15 to close at $583.15 after trading 121 stock units, Jamaica Broilers rose 89 cents to $29.09 after exchanging 7,865 stocks. Jamaica Producers fell 44 cents in closing at $20.11, with an exchange of 66,000 shares,  Massy Holdings increased $1.85 in ending at $89, with 8,721 units crossing the exchange, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rallied 65 cents to close at $14.15 in trading 106,342 stock units. NCB Financial advanced $4.75 to end at $96.75 with an exchange of 42,593 shares, Palace Amusement shed $46 after ending at $790 in switching ownership of 17 stocks, PanJam Investment shed $1.77 in closing at $59.90 in an exchange of 2,980 units. Scotia Group popped $1.40 to end at $36.39 with the swapping of 1,317 stock units, Stanley Motta dropped 50 cents to $5, with 5,048 stocks crossing the market, Supreme Ventures declined 70 cents to close at $28.60 in exchanging 294,794 shares. Sygnus Real Estate Finance popped 41 cents in closing at $10.21, with 1,615 units clearing the market and Victoria Mutual Investments advanced 65 cents to close at $5.68 in trading 76,505 stocks.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share rose 69 cents to end at $7.63 in an exchange of 117 units. Eppley 7.75% preference share climbed $1 to a 52 weeks’ high of $21 with the swapping of 10 stock units and 138 Student Living preference share fell $7.58 to $49.32 with an exchange of 131 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market activity ended with the volume of stocks traded declining 15 percent, with the value slipping marginally lower compared to trading on Monday as the market declined further in overall value versus Monday.
At the close, 9,160,573 shares were exchanged for $56,371,792, compared to 10,753,625 units at $57,897,672 on Monday. Trading averaged 166,556 units at $1,024,942, compared to 182,265 units at $981,316 on Monday and month to date, an average of 324,185 units at $1,476,401, compared to 324,185 units at $1,476,401 on the previous trading day. July closed with an average of 173,643 units at $1,683,017.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 2.13 million units for 23.2 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 2.1 million units for 21.7 percent market share and Sterling Investments traded 741,714 shares with 8.1 percent market share.
Trading ended with 55 securities compared to 59 on Monday, with 12 rising, 24 declining and 19ending unchanged. At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 2,806.08 points to 420,251.14, the JSE Main Index plunged 4,084.10 points to close at 368,823.61 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 1.47 points to 88.17.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 13.8 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PEs are computed using ICInsider.com’s forecasted earnings for companies with financial years ending up to the close of August 2023.
The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks closing with bids closing above their last selling prices and two closing with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints climbed 84 cents to $11.84 in switching ownership of 93 shares, Caribbean Cement fell $1.01, in ending at $58.99 after trading 14,832 stocks,  Eppley Carib Fund exchanged 3,328 shares and gained $3 to end at  $45, First Rock gained 40 cents trading 12,301 shares in closing at $12, GraceKennedy dropped $2.98 in closing at $96 with 46736 stock units crossing the exchange, Jamaica Broilers fell 45 cents to $28.20 after trading 22,343 shares. Jamaica Producers traded 10,262 shares and fell 45 cents in closing at $20.55, Massy Holdings shed $2.85 in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $87.15, with 33,690 units changing hands, NCB Financial decreased $4.50 in ending at $92 while exchanging 11,802 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 45 cents to close at $13.50 with 4,000 shares changing hands, Palace Amusement rallied $76 to close at $836 in exchanging 11 units. PanJam Investment traded 140 units and fell $2.28 to $61.67, Salada Foods fell 72 cents to $4.61 after exchanging 3,050 stock units, Seprod traded 8,953 shares and lost $1.93 and closed at $68.07, Supreme Ventures rose 80 in closing at $29.30 in trading 45,140 stocks and Sygnus Real Estate Finance fell 70 cents in ending at a 52 weeks’ low of $9.80, with 6,670 units clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market activity ended on Monday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 43 percent and the value falling 64 percent compared to trading on Friday as the market slipped in overall value.  
At the close, 10,753,625 shares were exchanged for $57,897,672, down from 18,706,267 units at $161,301,374 on Friday. Trading averaged 182,265 units at $981,316, compared to 366,790 shares at $3,162,772 on Friday and month to date, an average of 324,185 units at $1,476,401, compared to 228,567 units at $1,609,780 on the previous trading day. July closed with an average of 173,643 units at $1,683,017.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index fell 493.11 points to 423,057.22, the JSE Main Index slipped just 29.08 points to close at 372,907.71 and the JSE Financial Index as rose 0.21 points to 89.64.
Trading ended with 59 securities compared to 51 on Friday, with 18 rising, 28 declining and 13 ending unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 13.9 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on ICInsider.com’s forecasted earnings for companies with financial years ending up to the close of August 2023.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 4.99 million units for 46.4 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.2 million units for 11.2 percent market share and Supreme Ventures with 576,472 shares for 5.4 percent of the total.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one closing with a lower offer.
At the close, Barita Investments fell 67 cents to $86.31 after switching ownership of 54,553 shares, Caribbean Cement dropped $1.70 to $60 after trading 2,657 stocks, Eppley popped $2.25 to end at $41 in an exchange of three units. Eppley Carib Fund exchanged 3,204 shares and gained $2 to end at  $42, GraceKennedy popped $2.68 in closing at $98.98 with 69,100 stock units crossing the exchange, Guardian Holdings gave back $139.99 of what was gained on Friday to close at $510.01 with 137 stocks crossing the market, Jamaica Broilers fell 73 cents to $28.67 after trading 8,253 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy added $1 in closing at $85, with 5,583 units changing hands, NCB Financial decreased $2.50 in ending at $96.50 while exchanging 59,105 shares, 138 Student Living gained $1.05 to close at $5.10 with 610 shares changing hands, Palace Amusement rallied $119 to close at $760 in exchange of 37 units. PanJam traded 220 units and fell $4.35 at $63.95, Portland JSX rose 50 cents to $10 after exchanging 16,903 stock units, Supreme Ventures rose 62 in closing at $28.50 in trading 576,472 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments shed 39 cents to close at $13.21 in exchanging 136,945 shares and Sygnus Real Estate Finance fell 50 cents in ending at a 52 weeks’ low of $10.50, with 185 units clearing the market.
In the Preference segment, Eppley 7.25% jumped $1.50 to $21.50 after trading 220 shares and JMMBG7.25C due 2025 fell 44 cent to $2.46, with 1,500 units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.