Gifts were left at the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday but they did not satisfy all, but the market closed after rising stocks were just squeezed out by those declining after an exchange of 24 percent fewer shares at 55 percent increased value changed hands than on Wednesday.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index surged 5,262.81 points to 429,480.69, the Main Index jumped 4,683.95 points to end at 391,901.83 and the JSE Financial Index increased 1.53 points to settle at 102.17.
Trading ended with 44 securities changing hands compared to 48 on Wednesday and ended with prices of 15 stocks rising, 17 declining and 12 remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio closed at an average of 16.9 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 18,744,767 shares trading at $218,336,612 compared to 24,549,135 units at $140,421,055 on Wednesday. Sagicor Real Estate Fund led trading with 32 percent of the volume, with 6.01 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 22.6 percent after 4.24 million units traded, Wigton Windfarm accounted for 14.5 percent, with 2.71 million shares and Scotia Group controlled 5.9 percent of stocks traded with 1.11 million units changing hands.
Trading for the day averaged 426,017 units at $4,962,196 for each security, compared to an average of 511,440 shares at $2,925,439 on Wednesday. The month to date average resulted in 375,716 units at $6,842,893 for each security, compared to 372,792 units at $6,952,207 on the prior trading day. November averaged 623,120 units at $6,686,047.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Barita Investments declined 39 cents to $83.58 after 18,659 shares crossed the market, Caribbean Cement lost $2 to end at $60 after exchanging 3,124 stocks, Carreras gained 35 cents to end at $7.35 after trading 267,663 shares. Eppley gained $3 to end at $28 in swapping 13,039 stocks, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund rose by 49 cents to $44.99 in trading 890 stock units, Grace Kennedy lost $8.41 to close at $62.11, with 969,427 stock units changing hands. Jamaica Producers lost 50 cents to end at $20.50 after exchanging 73,566 shares, JMMB Group climbed $1.01 in closing at $34 and trading 174,744 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy carved out a loss of $10 to end at $135 with an exchange of 150 stocks. NCB Financial rose $1.50 to $141.50 while exchanging 35,029 stock units, PanJam Investment shed $2.20 to end at $65.50 after 11,725 shares crossed the exchange, Sagicor Group carved out a loss of 50 cents and ended at $49 after trading 106,746 stocks. Seprod gained 50 cents to settle at $66.50 exchanging 1,664 units and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 90 cents to end at $16, with 206,274 shares changing hands.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.5% preference share lost $1 in ending at $6 with an exchange of 3,000 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.