Barita Investments climbed $11.54 to a record high of $115.04 in market activity on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday after 6.5 million of the company’s shares were traded for a consideration of $706 million, at the end of trading there were only two lots on offer with the lowest offer of 7,200 shares at $140 and the other includes just 50 units at $200, three bids closed at $115 and $115.04 to buy over 400,000 shares.
Barita headquarters
Barita was not the only big as Sagicor Real Estate Fund led trading with 189.69 million shares for 89.3 percent of total volume, valued $1.56 billion. Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 7.07 million units for 3.3 percent of the day’s trade followed. The Barita Investments trade accounted for 3.1 percent of stocks trading. Stanley Motta traded 1.77 million units for 0.8 percent market share, Sagicor Select Manufacturing and Distribution Fund ended with 1.36 million units for 0.6 percent of market activity and Transjamaican Highway saw trading of 1.06 million units for 0.5 percent market share.
The total volume of stocks traded increased by 14 percent with 203 percent greater consideration than Thursday, resulting in trading in 60 securities compared to 50 on Thursday, with 36 rising, 15 declining and 11 ending unchanged.
A total of 212,535,654 shares were exchanged for $2,391,952,140 up from 186,827,923 units at $789,529,362 on Thursday. Trading averages 3,542,261 units at $39,865,869, compared to 3,736,558 shares at $15,790,587 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 533,719 units at $5,494,321 versus 377,970 units at $3,714,948 on the previous trading day. August closed with an average of 533,719 units at $5,494,282. The All Jamaican Composite Index popped 3,872.20 points to 413,943.31, the JSE Main Index rallied 3,792.45 points to 361,691.60 and the JSE Financial Index gained 1.47 points to settle at 87.70.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 14.2 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 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 20 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments climbed $11.54 to $115.04, with 6,539,692 stocks crossing the market, Berger Paints dipped $1.30 to end at $10 after a transfer of 4,259 units. Caribbean Producers fell 75 cents to close at $13.14 in exchanging 15,371 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced $3.04 to end at $49.99 in trading 26,168 shares, First Rock Real Estate rallied 40 cents to close at $1, with 1,163 units changing hands. GraceKennedy declined 47 cents in closing at $89.50 with the swapping of 298,310 units, Guardian Holdings increased $10 to $510 after exchanging 106 stocks, Jamaica Broilers rose 50 cents to $29.50 as investors exchanged 137,737 stock units, Jamaica Producers gained $1.74 to end at $20.74, with 169,921 stock units crossing the market, Jamaica Stock Exchange climbed $2.52 to $17.60 in trading 103,903 units, JMMB Group dipped 50 cents to $39.50 with a transfer of 375,498 shares. Kingston Properties advanced $1 to $8, with 935,835 stock units crossing the exchange, Kingston Wharves gained $1 to end at $38 in exchanging 25,446 units, Margaritaville lost $4.45 in closing at $22 with investors transferring 1,237 shares. Massy Holdings increased 90 cents to end at $82 in switching ownership of 525 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities popped 72 cents to close at $13.35 with an exchange of 2,450 stocks, Proven Investments shed 92 cents in closing at $30.08, with 3,497 stock units changing hands. Sagicor Group rose $2.01 ending at $53.51 in finishing treading of 285,915 shares, Scotia Group rallied $1.90 to $35.90 with 61,627 units clearing the market, Seprod rose $1.95 to $67 while exchanging 6,208 stock units. 
Supreme Ventures shed 50 cents in closing at $27 in trading 75,206 units and Sygnus Real Estate Finance increased $1.24 to $10.30 while exchanging 4,000 stocks.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% climbed $10 to $2800 after 127 shares crossed the market, 138 Student Living preference share advanced $11.50 to close at $69, with 1,891 stocks changing hands and newly listed Productive Business Solutions preference share popped $200 in closing at $1200 in an exchange of 43 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Overall, 3,796,627 shares were traded for US$51,064 compared to 3,235,927 units at US$55,292 on Thursday.
Proven Investments fell 1 cent to 20 US cents with a transfer of 500 units, Sterling Investments popped 0.02 of a cent to 2.11 US cents after trading 28,086 stock units. Sygnus Credit Investments USD share lost 1.21 cents to close at 9.77 US cents, with 2,000 stocks crossing the exchange and Transjamaican Highway gaining 0.03 of a cent to end at 1.02 US cents after exchanging 3,757,139 units.
A total of 19,888,010 shares were traded for $79,051,861 up from 17,734,945 units at $68,426,190 on Thursday.
At the close, Access Financial popped $3.03 in closing at $27.72 in an exchange of 38,331 shares, AMG Packaging declined 38 cents to end at $3.51 and closed with trading of 40,203 stocks, Cargo Handlers increased 40 cents to $11.51 with 8,160 stock units changing hands. Consolidated Bakeries dipped 25 cents to end at $2.66 with a transfer of 27,908 units, EduFocal dropped 20 cents to $2.45, with 171,853 units clearing the market, Express Catering shed 30 cents to close at $5.30 with the swapping of 727,822 shares. Fosrich advanced 32 cents in closing at $4.35 in trading 6,280,600 stock units, iCreate lost 35 cents to end at $2.45 with investors transferring 800,462 stocks, Indies Pharma gained 18 cents in ending at $3.20 after a transfer of 509,797 stocks. Iron Rock Insurance fell 26 cents to $2.50 in switching ownership of 2,048 units, KLE Group rose 19 cents to $2.17, with 593 shares crossing the market, Main Event rallied 46 cents to close at $9.45 while exchanging 222,157 stock units. MFS Capital Partners declined 20 cents to end at $3, 410,493 stock units crossing the exchange, Paramount Trading climbed 16 cents to $1.97 after exchanging 125 shares, Spur Tree Spices popped 39 cents in closing at $3.85, with 2,910,027 stocks changing hands. 
Stationery and Office Supplies jumped $1.70 to close at $17.80 with an exchange of 243,643 units and tTech dropped 45 cents in closing at $2.54 as investors exchanged 138,790 stock units.
A total of 339,203 shares were exchanged for $3,599,215 up from 137,453 shares at $2,186,097 on Thursday. An average of 22,614 units traded at $239,948 compared to 7,636 shares at $121,450 on Thursday, with trading month to date averaging 45,817 units at $463,533 down from 46,718 shares at $472,221 on the previous day. The average trade for August amounts to 40,829 units at $378,385.
National Enterprises ended at $3.30 in an exchange of 23,983 shares, Prestige Holdings shed 15 cents to end at $6.25 after 298 stock units crossed the market, Republic Financial Holdings declined 2 cents to $140 in trading 46 units, Scotiabank remained at $78.40 with an exchange of 376 stock units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL ended at $21.45, with investors transferring 600 shares. Trinidad Cement fell 5 cents to $3.50, with 130,106 shares changing hands, Unilever Caribbean ended at $13 with 18,060 stock units clearing the market and West Indian Tobacco remained at $22.50 after an exchanging of 687 stocks.
A total of 186,827,923 shares were traded for $789,529,362 up from 28,254,323 units at $365,934,690 on Wednesday.
The PE Ratio, a formula used to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 13.9 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.
Proven Investments climbed 98 cents to end at $31 in trading 1,018 stocks. Scotia Group shed $1 to end at $34 while exchanging 27,206 shares and Seprod rose 52 cents in closing at $65.05 with investors transferring 5,923 units.
According to the Central Bank, while “the key drivers of inflation and other economic indicators are trending in the right direction, conditions have not sufficiently solidified to ensure that inflation is sustainably on a downward path.”
Investors traded 3,235,927 shares for US$55,292, sharply up from 174,023 units at US$17,600 on Wednesday.
Proven Investments rose 2 cents to close at 21 US cents with investors trading 61,193 stocks. Sygnus Credit Investments USD share remained at 10.98 US cents as investors exchanged 10,564 stock units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share dropped 0.01 of a cent to end at 12.37 US cents with the swapping of 3,545 stocks and Transjamaican Highway rallied 0.06 of a cent to end at 0.99 of one US cent after a transfer of 3,000,000 shares.
A total of 17,734,945 shares were traded for $68,426,190 compared to 20,778,103 units at $85,799,358 on Wednesday.
At the close, AMG Packaging rose 33 cents to $3.89 with a transfer of 6,579 shares, Blue Power gained 10 cents to close at $3.23 in switching owners of 545 units, Cargo Handlers dipped $2.89 to $11.11 after finishing trading of 2,500 stock units. Dolphin Cove advanced $1.39 to end at $14.49 with investors transferring 9,991 stocks, EduFocal popped 28 cents in closing at $2.65 after an exchange of 133,064 units, Elite Diagnostic climbed 17 cents in closing at $3.50 after 13,732 stock units changed hands. Express Catering increased 19 cents to $5.60 in exchanging 119,573 stocks, General Accident lost 75 cents in ending at $5 and trading 5,000 shares, Honey Bun dropped 36 cents to close at $7.90, with 143,821 shares crossing the market. iCreate declined 20 cents to end at $2.80 with an exchange of 440,985 stock units, Jamaican Teas rallied 24 cents to close at $2.95 after a transfer of 4,827,665 stocks, Knutsford Express advanced 15 cents to end at $7.40 in trading 4,508 units. 
Spur Tree Spices rose 16 cents to $3.46, with 797,951 units clearing the market, Stationery and Office Supplies popped 45 cents in closing at $16.10 while exchanging 8,000 stock units and tTech gained 39 cents to $2.99 after an exchange of a mere one share.
Trading ended, with 207,798,795 shares changing hands, valued at $857.96 million, shares up from $451.73 million, with 49,206,449 shares traded in all markets on the previous day. The JSE USD market ended with the value of stocks traded at US$55,292 from US$17,599 on Wednesday
The net asset value of each company is reported as a guide to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices. Dividends payable and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts that show the closing volume for the bids and offers.
