Week end rally for JSE Main Market

Stocks registered solid gains for the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday ended, with Guardian Holdings jumping $24, GraceKennedy nearly $5, Seprod $3.50 and Scotia Group $3, helping to drive the market index solidly up, with funds chasing stocks rising 29percent over Thursday even as the volume of stocks trading declined 24 percent and resulting in trading in 54 securities traded compared to 56 on Thursday, with 22 rising, 17 declining and 15 ending unchanged.
A total of 10,072,258 shares were exchanged for $74,070,561 against 13,269,863 units at $57,335,875 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 186,523 shares at $1,371,677 compared to 236,962 stocks at $1,023,855 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 171,730 units at $1,075,008 versus 166,859 units at $977,324 on the previous day. October closed with an average of 231,243 units at $1,464,224.
Transjamaican Highway was the lead trade, with 5.93 million shares for 58.9 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Windfarm with 1.08 million units for 10.7 percent of the day’s trade and Pulse Investments with 564,202 units for 5.6 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 3,654.63 points to 397,953.05, the JSE Main Index advanced 4,247.25 points to 349,150.16 and the JSE Financial Index popped 1.10 points to end at 83.66.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain 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 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Cement dipped $4 to $57.50, trading 227,991 shares, First Rock Real Estate rose $1.44 to $14.44 in exchanging 10,904 stock units, GraceKennedy rallied $4.98 to end at $86.98 with the transfer of 8,513 stocks. Guardian Holdings climbed $24 to $519 with 3,296 units changing hands, Jamaica Broilers increased $1.03 in closing at $29.13 after 613 stock units crossed the market, Kingston Properties gained 47 cents to close at $7.32 in transferring 77,215 shares. Kingston Wharves popped 50 cents in closing at $37.50 in trading 2,599 stocks, Mayberry Investments rose 50 cents to end at $8 with an exchange of 20,000 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities gained 78 cents to close at $13.78 with investors transferring 3,100 stock units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy declined $4 to $80 with the swapping of 32 units, NCB Financial increased $1 in closing at $86 with 345,924 stocks clearing the market, 138 Student Living shed $1 to end at $4.50 after trading 35,857 shares. Palace Amusement dropped $107.82 to end at $720 as investors exchanged just six shares, Scotia Group rose $3 to close at $36 with a transfer of 69,965 stock units, Seprod advanced $3.50 to $71 with 12,086 units changing hands. Victoria Mutual Investments popped 61 cents in closing at $4.80 after an exchange of 751 stocks.
In the preference segment, Eppley 5% preference share fell 46 cents to $22.99 with an exchange of 20 stock units and 138 Student Living preference share climbed $7.52 to $50.62 after a transfer of 11 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.