Trading pulls back on JSE Main Market

The volume passing through the market declined sharply and pulled the value drastically down at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday with a 66 percent fall in volume and 57 percent drop in value compared to Tuesday, after 52 securities changed hands compared to 56 on Tuesday, with prices of 22 rising, 20 declining and 10 unchanged.
A total of 6,903,600 shares were traded for $128,999,772 versus 20,246,503 units at $297,780,461 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 132,762 units at $2,480,765 compared with 361,545 shares at $5,317,508 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 184,309 units at $2,134,268 compared with 187,496 units at $2,112,843 on the previous trading day. January closed with an average of 205,236 units at $1,805,558.
Wigton Windfarm led trading with 1.86 million shares for 27 percent of total volume followed by JMMB Group 7.25% preference share due 2024 with 1.0 million units for 14.5 percent of the day’s trade and Massy Holdings with 509,158 units for 7.4 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 1,325.39 points to end at 374,080.89, the JSE Main Index declined 1,395.74 points to 331,031.68 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.93 points to close at 78.40.
The PE Ratio, a formula to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.3 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 14 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments rallied 49 cents to end at $81.50 with 45,615 shares clearing the market, Caribbean Cement rose $1.99 to $59.99 after investors traded 110,271 stock units, Eppley dipped 41 cents to $37.49 with investors transferring 314 stocks. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund declined $9 to close at $37 with 6,980 units changing hands, First Rock Real Estate lost 50 cents in closing at $11 after 2,107 stock units crossed the market, Guardian Holdings dropped $15 to $500 after an exchange of 2,210 shares. Jamaica Broilers gained 96 cents to settle at a 52 weeks’ high of $34.96 trading 190,225 units, Jamaica Producers fell 60 cents to $21.25 as investors traded 13,071 stocks, JMMB Group popped $2.27 to $32.87 with the swapping of 463,131 units. Massy Holdings shed 99 cents to close at $79.01 after a transfer of 509,158 shares, Mayberry Investments fell 68 cents to close at $7.85 in switching ownership of 7,095 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose $1.04 to $12.25 with an exchange of 45,299 stock units. NCB Financial gained 48 cents in ending at $77.98 as investors traded 12,014 units, Palace Amusement gained $1 to end at $2,700 after exchanging 1,098 shares, PanJam Investment rose 60 cents in closing at $57.10 with the swapping of 3,569 stock units. Proven Investments rose $1 to $29 in an exchange of 3,575 stocks, Sagicor Group shed $1 to $51.50 with a transfer of 15,067 stock units, Scotia Group dipped $1.74 in closing at $32.26 in trading 4,072 stocks. Seprod declined $3.98 to close at $62 with 499,056 shares changing hands and Wisynco Group shed 89 cents to end at $16.61 with 165,256 units crossing the market.
In the preference segment, Productive Business 10.50% preference share dropped $50 ending at $1,150 as investors exchanged 41 units. Jamaica Public Service 7% advanced $3 to a record high of $15 with a transfer of 2,000 stocks and 138 Student Living preference share rose $1 to close at $77 with the swapping of 163 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.