Trading drops on JSE Main Market

Trading dropped on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday with a 30 percent drop in the volume of stocks traded at a 77 percent lower value than on Thursday, after trading in 53 securities up from 51 on Thursday, resulting in prices of stocks 24 rising, 19 declining and 10 ending unchanged.
A total of 11,840,614 shares were traded for $92,145,603 compared to 16,899,213 units at $398,378,363 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 223,408 shares at $1,738,596 compared to 331,357 shares at $7,811,340 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 178,739 stock units at $2,099,950 compared with 172,653 stocks at $2,149,183 on the previous day. January closed with an average of 205,236 units at $1,805,558.
Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 4.40 million shares for 37.1 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 2.34 million units for 19.7 percent of the day’s trade and Transjamaican Highway with 1.21 million units for 10.2 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 466.42 points to 381,045.58, the JSE Main Index rose 302.30 points to close at 336,285.42 and the JSE Financial Index rallied 0.57 points to settle at 80.30.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 14.2 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are computed based on the last traded price and earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments lost 50 cents in closing at $84 in trading 4,996 shares, Caribbean Cement advanced $2.41 to $59.18 with a transfer of 26,011 units, Caribbean Producers dipped 77 cents to $10.80 with 274,070 stock units changing hands after trading at an intraday 52 weeks’ low of $10.19 following the release of half year results showing reduced profit in the December quarter compared with that of 2021. GraceKennedy shed 90 cents to end at $77.10 after an exchange of 174,611 stocks, Guardian Holdings rallied 69 cents to close at $505.70 with the swapping of 20,423 shares, Jamaica Broilers gained 50 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $32.50 after 946,442 stocks passed through the market. Jamaica Producers fell $1 in ending at $20 after trading 32,439 stock units, JMMB Group popped 45 cents to close at $33.40 with investors transferring 83,865 units, Kingston Properties shed 50 cents to finish at $6.60 in an exchange of 147,000 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose 99 cents to end at $12.39 in switching ownership of 49,660 stocks, NCB Financial declined $1 in closing at $75 with the swapping of 27,651 stock units, Palace Amusement dropped $185.90 to close at $2,302.10 while trading 549 shares. Seprod dipped $1.20 to end at $64 with an exchange of 25,136 units, Stanley Motta fell 93 cents to settle at $4.30 with 47,129 shares changing hands, Supreme Ventures rose $1 to $27 in an exchange of 25,496 stock units. Sygnus Real Estate Finance shed 50 cents to end at $9.50 after 1,100 stocks cleared the market and Wisynco Group popped 78 cents in closing at $17.98 in a transfer of 325,355 units.
In the preference segment, Productive Business 10.50% preference share advanced $15.91 to end at $1,115.91 trading 60 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.