Trading up, market down for JSE majors

Trading activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended on Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 55 percent and the value 72 percent more than on Wednesday, following trading in 59 securities similar to trading on Wednesday and ended with 25 rising, 24 declining and 10 ending unchanged.
A total of 20,050,275 shares were traded for $83,836,104 compared to 12,894,594 units at $48,653,770 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 339,835 shares at $1,420,951 versus 218,552 shares at $824,640 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 220,842 units at $957,374, compared with 200,493 units at $878,096 on the previous day. March closed with an average of 356,137 units at $3,015,416.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 8.60 million shares for 42.9 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Windfarm with 3.19 million units for 15.9 percent of the day’s trade, QWI Investments ended with 2.73 million units for 13.6 percent of market share, Carreras closed with 1.60 million units for 8 percent of the market trades, Sagicor Select Financial Fund had an exchange of 1.27 million units for 6.3 percent of trading and Stanley Motta with 1.01 million units for 5.1 percent of total volume.
The All Jamaican Composite Index lost 1,167.97 points to finish at 367,126.63, the JSE Main Index declined 1,446.13 points to conclude trading at 332,138.52 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.65 points to settle at 75.24.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.6 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 nine stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement lost $2.45 to end at $57.50 with an exchange of 7,041 shares, Eppley popped $3.91 to $37.46 with investors transferring 639 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund climbed $3.50 in closing at $44 in trading 367 units, Jamaica Producers rose $1.35 to $22 with 8,440 stocks crossing the market, Jamaica Stock Exchange gained 50 cents after ending at $14 after 208 stock units passed through the market, JMMB Group rose 81 cents to $30.31 after an exchange of 56,000 shares, Kingston Wharves advanced $3.30 in closing at $33.80 with the swapping of 23,660 units, Margaritaville rallied 49 cents to close at $18.49, with 105 stocks crossing the exchange, Massy Holdings rallied $1 to $100, with investors trading 4,289 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities popped 49 cents to end at $11.49 in an exchange of 350 stocks, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy climbed $11.25 to $86.25 after a transfer of 115 stock units, NCB Financial dipped $4 in closing at $70 after investors exchanged 168,649 shares, Pan Jamaica Group increased $2.79 after ending at $56.79 and closed with 207 stock units changing hands, Proven Investments shed $1.47 to close at $25.86 in switching ownership of 29,014 units, Sagicor Group dropped 49 cents to end at $47.01 with a transfer of 18,707 stocks, Seprod declined $1.45 to close at $62.05 in an exchange of 4,492 shares and Supreme Ventures fell 40 cents in closing at $26.50 after an exchange of 16,770 stocks.In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share lost $2.19 to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $16.56 with 490 units clearing the market and Jamaica Public Service 7% gained $10 in ending at $60, with 116 stock units changing hands and Transjamaican Highway 8% rose 25 cents to 52 weeks’ high of $2.67 after just 5 shares were traded.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.