Trading jumps on JSE Main Market

Trading activity picked up sharply on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday with the volume of stocks traded rising 39 percent and the value  79 percent greater than on Thursday, with 55 securities trading up from 52 on Thursday, leading to prices of 21 rising, 19 declining and 15 ending unchanged.
A total of 9,589,463 shares were traded for $231,326,583 up from 6,903,600 units at $128,999,772 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 174,354 units at $4,205,938 versus 132,762 shares at $2,480,765 on Thursday and for the month to date, an average of 183,732 units at $2,254,461 compared with 184,309 units at $2,134,270 on the previous day. January closed with an average of 205,236 units at $1,805,558.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 3.38 million shares for 35.2 percent of total volume followed by Massy Holdings with 1.89 million units for 19.7 percent of the day’s trade and Jamaica Producers with 700,848 units for 7.3 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 3,396.57 points to 377,477.46, the JSE Main Market Index climbed 2,289.80 points to 333,321.48 and the JSE Financial Index advanced 0.23 points to 78.63.
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 incorporate 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 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments shed 79 cents in closing at $80.71 with an exchange of 6,755 shares, Berger Paints dipped 65 cents to $9.25 in transferring 1,685 stock units, Caribbean Cement popped $1.01 in ending at $61 with swapping of 9,990 units. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund climbed $9 to end at $46 after a mere three stocks passed through the market, First Rock Real Estate shed 90 cents to close at $10.10 after an exchange of 5,649 stock units, GraceKennedy rose $1.55 to $78.75 with a transfer of 37,607 shares. Jamaica Broilers declined $1.96 to close at $33 with investors trading 642,278 stocks, JMMB Group fell $1.87 in closing at $31 in an exchange of 450,035 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rallied $7.01 to end at $69.01 with 200 stocks changing hands. Palace Amusement dropped $45 to  $2,655 with the swapping of 894 shares, ahead of a stock split to take effect at the start of trading on Monday, PanJam Investment lost 50 cents to close at $56.60 with 2,045 units changing hands, Scotia Group advanced $1.94 to $34.20 after trading 177,491 stock units. Seprod rose $3.98 in closing at $65.98 after 2,579 stocks passed through the market, Supreme Ventures shed 96 cents to close at $25.04 in switching ownership of 41,444 units and Wisynco Group gained 79 cents to end at $17.40 as investors traded 14,900 stock units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 5% preference share declined $3.33 in closing at $19.61 after a transfer of 96 shares, Eppley 7.25% preference share advanced $4 tot $22 in exchanging 48 stocks and Jamaica Public Service 7% rallied $2.26 to a record high of $17.26 with an exchange of 1,000 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.