Trading plunged on JSE Main Market

Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended on Thursday with an exchange of  25 percent fewer shares following an 89 percent drop in funds passing through the market compared with trading on Wednesday that led to advancing stocks being clobbered by those falling from 63 securities changing hands compared to 58 on Wednesday, with 17 rising, 33 declining and 13 unchanged.
A total of 17,712,923 shares were traded for $93,659,946 compared to 23,771,804 units at $827,732,498 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 281,158 shares at $1,486,666 compared with 409,859 shares trading at $14,271,250 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 236,526 stock units at $3,962,243 compared to 228,353 at $4,415,619 on the previous day. February closed with an average of 183,599 units at $2,160,070.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 13.52 million shares for 76.3 percent of total volume followed by JMMB Group with 1.70 million units for 9.6 percent of the day’s trade and Transjamaican Highway with 768,792 units for 4.3 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 993.03 points to end at 373,191.38, the JSE Main Index declined 1,818.39 points to 329,493.03 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.70 points to settle at 77.19.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 13.2 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 13 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments declined 93 cents to $78.01 in exchanging 20,135 shares, Eppley advanced $5 to $40 in switching ownership of 5,110 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund declined $4.59 in closing at $40.40 with 1,600 units changing hands. First Rock Real Estate lost 40 cents to end at $11.70 with 24,100 stocks clearing the market, Guardian Holdings dropped $23 to close at $486 with a transfer of 1,134 units, Jamaica Broilers rallied 50 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $38.50 in an exchange of 30,994 stock units. Jamaica Producers shed $1.48 in closing at $21.42 after the trading of 20,492 shares, Kingston Wharves dipped 98 cents to $31.02 after a transfer of 88,275 stocks, NCB Financial fell $3.95 ending at a 52 weeks’ low of $70.05 as investors traded 46,776 units. Portland JSX shed $1.74 to close at $9.81 in transferring seven stock units, Proven Investments popped $1.40 in closing at $28.55 after 122 stocks passed through the market, Sagicor Group gained 73 cents in ending at $49.75 after switching ownership of 35,337 shares. Salada Foods lost 47 cents to end at $3.53 with the swapping of 10 units, Seprod rose $1 to close at $63 with an exchange of 5,014 stock units, Supreme Ventures lost 50 cents to finish at $24.50 after trading 23,003 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments dipped 60 cents to $12 after an exchange of 36,971 stocks.
In the preference segment, Productive Business 10.50% preference share climbed $99 to $1,200 with the swapping of one unit, Eppley 5% preference share gained 54 cents to end at $20 in an exchange of 10 stocks. Eppley 7.25% preference share fell $3.30 to close at $18.70 with investors transferring 10 stock units, Eppley 7.50% preference share rose 92 cents to $6.60 with 10 shares changing hands, Jamaica Public Service 7% declined $12.38 after ending at $62.62 in trading 6,154 stock units. 138 Student Living preference share fell $7.44 to close at $70 in exchanging 10 shares and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share shed $1 to settle at $106 as investors transferred 10 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.