Trading picks up on the JSE Main Market

Trading activity picked up on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 218 percent and the value 110 percent more than on Wednesday, after trading in 52 securities compared with 57 on Wednesday, with 21 rising, 16 declining and 15 ending unchanged.
A total of 24,710,357 shares were traded for $217,998,595 compared with 7,774,565 units at $103,833,504 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 475,199 shares at $4,192,281 compared with 136,396 shares at $1,821,640 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 354,979 stock units at $5,031,174, compared with 347,633 units at $5,082,435 on the previous day. May closed with an average of 226,361 units at $1,362,447.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 13.02 million shares for 52.7 percent of total volume followed by Carreras with 3.54 million units for 14.3 percent of the day’s trade, Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 2.67 million units for 10.8 percent market share, NCB Financial with 2.14 million units for 8.7 percent market share and Transjamaican Highway with 1.49 million units for 6 percent of total volume.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 993.11 points to 361,607.86, the JSE Main Index shed 1,951.96 points to 325,358.09 and the JSE Financial Index shed 0.02 points to end at 73.30.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 12.9 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 seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints fell 69 cents to end at $7.30, with 20,000 shares crossing the exchange, Caribbean Cement declined 50 cents in closing at $49.50 with investors transferring 1,682 units, Eppley dipped 49 cents to $36.50 in an exchange of 55 stocks. GraceKennedy shed 50 cents to close at $76.50 in an exchange of 29,451 stock units, Jamaica Producers popped 70 cents to $19.70 with an exchange of 500 units, Kingston Wharves advanced $1.94 to end at $29.95 while exchanging 1,300 stock units. Massy Holdings dropped $6 in closing at $95, with 20,052 shares crossing the market, Mayberry Investments gained 87 cents to close at $9 as investors exchanged 50,003 stocks, 138 Student Living lost 36 cents to close at $4.60 with a transfer of 179,651 units. Pan Jamaica Group rallied $1.50 and ended at $50.50 with shareholders swapping 4,634 stock units, Scotia Group fell $1.80 to end at $33 after investors traded 36,082 shares, Stanley Motta climbed 38 cents and ended at $5.18 after a transfer of 15,382 stocks and Sterling Investments rose 50 cents to close at $2.70, with 80 units changing hands.
In the preference segment,Jamaica Public Service 7% declined $8.80 in closing at $56 after 65 stocks were traded, JMMB Group 7.25% preference share increased 46 cents to $3.53 after exchanging 5 stock units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75%  preference share shed $1.99 to close at $90.01, with 2,245 shares clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.