New record high for the JSE USD Market.
Investors pumped 46 percent more funds into the US dollar market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange and drove the market to a new record high on Thursday, with the market ending with the volume of stocks exchanged declining by 72 percent compared to trading Wednesday and leading to trading in four securities, compared to seven on Wednesday with prices of two rising, one declining and one holding firm.
The market closed with an exchange of 74,096 shares for US$22,194 compared to 268,496 units at US$15,237 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 18,524 units at US$5,548 versus 38,357 shares at US$2,177 on Wednesday, with a month to date average of 25,402 shares at US$3,063 compared with 26,421 units at US$2,695 on the previous day and February that ended with an average of 46,765 units for US$6,084.
The US Denominated Equities Index popped 2.33 points to a record high of 269.04.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 9.8. The PE ratio is computed based on the last traded price divided by projected earnings done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending and or around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close of the market, First Rock Real Estate USD share popped 0.2 of a cent to close at 4.4 US cents with investors dealing in 5,000 units, Sygnus Credit Investments ended at 8.99 US cents with an exchange of 1,001 stocks and Transjamaican Highway dipped 0.13 of a cent and ended at 2.25 US cents with investors trading 50,128 shares.
In the preference segment, JMMB Group US8.5% preference share popped 1 cent to end at US$1.16, with 17,967 stock units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with 59 securities on Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in prices of 18 stocks rising, 23 declining and 18 ending unchanged as the prices of two stocks closed at yearly highs and two at yearly lows, with 138 Student Living falling to $3.02 and Sagicor Group declining to $40, with Eppley ending at $42 and JMMMB Group 7.15% closing at $3.40.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2024.
Massy Holdings dropped $3.45 and ended at $90 after investors traded 21,790 stocks, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rose $23.38 to end at $109.48 in trading 70 units, 138 Student Living lost 48 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.02, with 35,000 stocks changing hands. Pan Jamaica skidded $5.71 to close at $46.09 with investors trading 61,187 units, Proven Investments gained $2.28 to end at $23.95, with 535 shares crossing the market, Pulse Investments advanced 33 cents to close at $2.12 as investors exchanged 176,862 stock units. Sagicor Group fell $1 to close at $40 after an exchange of 552,299 shares, Scotia Group dipped $1.15 and ended at $45.80 with investors transferring 25,668 units and Supreme Ventures declined 31 cents to end at $26 after an exchange of 274,846 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with 7,997,362 shares trading for $30,390,340 versus 3,193,504 units at $8,909,855 on Wednesday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows none ended with a bid higher than the last selling price and four with lower offers.
JFP Ltd gained 5 cents and ended at $1.41 with investors transferring 21,363 shares, KLE Group popped 8 cents in closing at $1.98, with one unit crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors rose 10 cents to $4.45 in switching ownership of 4,650,371 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing lost 5 cents in closing at $5.50 after an exchange of 243,397 stock units, Limners and Bards rose 12 cents to $1.62 with investors dealing in 6,694 shares, Lumber Depot gained 20 cents to end at $2.78 after a transfer of 55,273 units. Mailpac Group dipped 7 cents to $2.07 with traders dealing in 173,970 stocks, MFS Capital Partners sank 6 cents and ended at $1.95 after an exchange of 275,191 stock units, 
Spur Tree Spices rallied 9 cents to $2.53 with a transfer of 2,041 shares and Tropical Battery increased 13 cents to end at $2.25, with 10,837 units crossing the market.
points on the day the JSE USD market closed at a new record high and the Junior Market inched up a few points following the surge in the number of stocks changing hands, with a hugely higher value than the previous day, resulting in prices of 40 shares rising and 37 declining.
Trading in the Main Market was dominated by Wigton Windfarm led trading with 561.55 million shares followed by Transjamaican Highway with 1.49 million stock units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.09 million units.
Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock.
The market closed on Thursday with an exchange of 221,819 shares for $1,746,903 compared with 213,794 units at $4,968,552 on Wednesday.
At the close, Calypso Macro Investment Fund skidded 48 cents to $22.52 with investors trading 4,095 stocks, First Citizens Bank rose 24 cents to $49.25 with an exchange of 4,374 units, FirstCaribbean Bank ended at $7.05 after swapping 1,733 shares. GraceKennedy lost 8 cents in closing at $3.90, with 19,028 stock units crossing the exchange, JMMB Group popped 11 cents to end at $1.51 with investors trading 115,855 shares, L.J Williams B share ended at $1.99 as 2,000 stock units passed through the market. Massy Holdings remained at $4.35 as investors traded 53,188 units, National Enterprises dipped 1 cent in closing at $3.89, with 1,224 stocks crossing the market, National Flour Mills rallied 10 cents and ended at $2.10 trading 4 shares. 
NCB Financial sank 9 cents to close at $3.11 with 801 stocks changing hands, Prestige Holdings increased 75 cents and closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $11.25 after an exchange of 18 units, Republic Financial added 1 cent to end at $120 in an exchange of 5,420 stocks. Scotiabank ended at $72 with investors swapping 2,496 units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL rose 5 cents to close at $9.05 after exchanging 10,112 stocks and West Indian Tobacco fell 15 cents and ended at $9.20 in switching ownership of 1,471 shares.
The sector that is the country’s largest foreign exchange earner saw the point of entry on the country’s northern coastal town, Montego Bay enjoying a 7.8 percent increase in passenger traffic passing through the Sangster International Airport to 442,500 compared with 410,700 in February 2023 and is up a solid 8.7 percent to 934,500 from 859,600 passengers for the first two months of the year.
The Main Market closed with an average of 1,184,100 shares trading at $1,999,961 compared to 178,249 units at $811,450 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 492,724 units at $1,329,872,in comparison with 260,955 units at $1,105,240 on the previous day and February with an average of 385,143 units at $3,418,046.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
NCB Financial gained $1.40 to end at $68.65 with an exchange of 8,682 stocks, 138 Student Living dipped 63 cents in closing at $3.50 with 81,310 shares crossing the market, Proven Investments lost $2.02 and ended at $21.67 with investors dealing in 3,434 units. Sagicor Group skidded 78 cents to close at $41 after trading of 202,746 stock units, Scotia Group popped 45 cents to close at $46.95 as investors exchanged 23,299 shares and Seprod climbed $5 to end at $90 with 5,657 stocks changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with an exchange of 268,496 shares for US$15,237 compared to 112,337 units at US$43,069 on Tuesday.
Proven Investments remained at 14.5 US cents in switching ownership of 500 stocks, Sterling Investments fell 0.49 of one cent in closing at 1.5 US cents, with 3,522 shares crossing the market. Sygnus Credit Investments dipped 0.01 of a cent to close at 8.99 US cents after an exchange of 819 stock units and Transjamaican Highway popped 0.27 of a cent to end at 2.38 US cents and closed with 253,855 shares changing hands.
Trading ended with 3,203,798 shares amounting to $8,923,752 compared to 5,999,057 stock units at $11,692,307 on Tuesday.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.1, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for financial years ending around August 2024.
Jetcon Corporation rallied 13 cents and ended at 98 cents while exchanging 2,235 stocks, Knutsford Express advanced 34 cents in closing at $11.94 with an exchange of 2,090 units. Lasco Distributors dipped 8 cents to $4.35 as investors traded 56,721 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing popped 15 cents in closing at $5.55 after a transfer of 19,610 shares, Lumber Depot lost 25 cents to end at $2.58 with investors dealing in 2,901 stock units. Tropical Battery shed 20 cents to close at $2.12 in an exchange of 134,842 shares and tTech climbed 49 cents and ended at $2.49 with investors transferring 50,000 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
