Wednesday bounce

Stocks regained some of the ground lost on Tuesday with the volume of shares traded rising 162 percent and values climbing 200 percent over Tuesday as advancing stocks edged out declining ones, with the market closing with three securities ending at 52 weeks’ highs.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 3,222.51 points to 425,755.18, the Main Index advanced by 2,902.45 points to 388,227.47 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.01 points to settle at 98.29.
Trading ended with 48 securities changing hands, up from 44 on Tuesday and closed with 22 stocks rising, 21 declining and five remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio closed with an average of 16.5 based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Traders exchanged 43,738,990 shares for $240,182,541 compared to 16,697,777 units at $80,072,023 on Tuesday. Pulse Investments led trading with 66.8 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 29.23 million shares followed by Transjamaican Highway with 8.5 percent for 3.71 million units. Wigton Windfarm ended with 7.9 percent of the day’s trade for 3.47 million units, QWI Investments with 5.6 percent for 2.46 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 4 percent for 1.77 million units changing hands.
Trading for the day averaged 911,229 units at $5,003,803, compared to 379,495 shares at $1,819,819 on Tuesday. The month to date averaged 449,559 units at $2,675,448, in contrast to 380,091 units at $2,325,100 on the prior trading day. Trading in January averaged 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 10 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments fell $1.07 to $78.94 trading 87,793 shares, Berger Paints lost 39 cents to end at $13.50, with 2,685 stock units crossing the market, Caribbean Cement rose $2 to $62 in exchanging 45,633 shares. Ciboney Group carved out a gain of 6 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of 41 cents in exchanging 705,294 stock units, Eppley fell $2.50 to settle at $20, in switching the ownership of 18,191 stock units, First Rock Capital climbed $1 to $15 trading 77,450 stocks. Grace Kennedy advanced $4.20 to a 52 weeks’ high of $82 with 294,737 shares clearing the market, Jamaica Broilers dropped $2.53 in closing at $26.55 after transferring 67,862 stock units, Jamaica Producers ended at $20.50, with gains of 80 cents in exchanging 11,994 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange shed 64 cents to finish at $17.66 after investors swapped 17,020 stocks, Kingston Wharves climbed $2.80 to $48 with 3,881 shares changing hands, Mayberry Jamaican Equities lost 39 cents to end at $6.85 with the swapping of 437 shares. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy fell $2.99 to close at $137.01 in an exchange of 328 stock units, NCB Financial rose $1 to $136 in trading 201,278 units, Palace Amusement jumped $50 to close at $1,050 in trading one unit. Pan Jam Investment fell by $1.30 to $65 with 7,378 stocks changing hands, Portland JSX rose $1.70 to $8.80 with an exchange of 100 shares, Proven Investments shed 73 cents to finish at $38 after crossing the market with 15,620 units. QWI Investments gained 10 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.20 in an exchange of 2,464,374 units, Sagicor Group gained $1.25 to close at $50.25 exchanging 5,218 stocks, Salada Foods declined by $3.90 to settle at $40 trading 118,884 shares and Seprod lost $2.20 and closed at $66.02, after exchanging 18,328 stocks.
In the preference segment, Community & Workers Credit Union gained 23 cents to close at $2.08 with 3,551 shares crossing the market, 138 Student Living preference share shed 80 cents to $5.10, in trading 249 stocks and Eppley 8.75% preference share slid 55 cents to $6.85 trading 73 shares.