Trading climbs on JSE Main Market

Trading activity picked up moderately on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 35 percent and the value 19 percent more than on Tuesday and ended with an exchange of 54 securities compared with 56 on Tuesday, with 16 rising, 24 declining and 14 ending unchanged.
A total of 10,337,992 shares were traded for $78,663,373 compared to 7,658,306 units at $66,155,432 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 191,444 shares at $1,456,729 compared with 136,755 units at $1,181,347 on Tuesday and trading month to date averaged 313,992 stocks at $2,022,720 versus 323,869 shares at $2,068,337 on the previous day. Trading in June closed with an average of 366,795 units at $6,952,581, including bonds traded.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 3.30 million shares for 31.9 percent of the total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm, with 2.04 million units for 19.8 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.92 million units for 18.6 percent of the day’s trade.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 708.51 points to 360,690.28, the JSE Main Index lost 676.97 points to settle at 323,346.16 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.22 points to settle at 71.10.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.1 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on the last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending up to August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement shed $3.14 to close at $50.01 as investors exchanged 1,974 shares, Eppley lost 50 cents and ended at $36 as 230 stocks passed through the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund fell $2.50 in closing at $39.50 after switching ownership of 100 stock units, First Rock Real Estate advanced $1.28 to $10.45 after 322,758 units cleared the market, GraceKennedy dipped 40 cents to end at $77.40 and closed, with 13,905 stock units changing hands, Guardian Holdings dropped $9 in closing at $391, with 1,478 stocks crossing the exchange, JMMB Group dropped 94 cents and ended at $28, with 20,883 units crossing the market, Key Insurance popped 44 cents to close at $2.95 with an exchange of 10 shares, Kingston Wharves rallied $1.11 to end at $29.10 with a transfer of 1,370 stock units, Massy Holdings dipped 90 cents to end at $97.10 with shareholders swapping 152 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities increased 49 cents in closing at $12 in an exchange of 14,211 units, NCB Financial rose $1.50 to close at $67 after an exchange of 739,759 stocks, Pan Jamaica shed 90 cents to end at $49.50 after a transfer of 6,194 units, Seprod declined $3.90 and ended at $70.05 in trading 5,117 stocks, Supreme Ventures fell 64 cents to $27.01 with investors transferring 62,144 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments dropped 49 cents to $11.07, with  46,568 shares changing hands.
In the preference segment, Productive Business 10.50% preference share lost $232.50 to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $977.50 in an exchange of 87 shares, Jamaica Public Service 7% gained $7.75 to close at $71 with stakeholders exchanging 33 stocks and Jamaica Public Service 9.5% climbed $125 in closing at $3100 while exchanging two units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.