After nearly five years of declines, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market seems positioned for a rebirth, with Jamaican stocks closing on Friday at a near 5 year high, with a 14.7 percent gain year to date, even as trading dropped 73 percent with a 87 percent lower value compared to Thursday. Trading ended after 60 securities changed hands, slipping from 59 on Thursday, with prices of 30 rising, 21 declining and nine ending unchanged, sending the market’s All Jamaican Composite Index to the highest level since August 15, 2022, when it closed at 419,448.06.
The market closed following trading of 8,140,109 shares with a value of $163,712,331, off from 30,058,965 stock units worth $1,238,526,471 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 135,668 shares at $2,728,539 after decreasing from 509,474 stock units at $20,991,974 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 226,948 stock units at $3,217,529, compared to 233,684 shares valued at $3,253,724 on the previous day and May with an average of 328,145 stock units at $2,328,972.
Wigton Energy led trading with 2.04 million shares for 25.2 percent of total volume, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 1.56 million units for 19.2 percent of the day’s trade and Caribbean Cement with 943,448 stocks for 11.6 percent of the volume traded.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rose 10,632.40 points to finish at 419,073.54, the JSE Main Index rallied 8,646.78 points to end at 354,542.95 and the JSE Financial Index rose 1.66 points to settle at 66.51. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.3. ICInsider.com compiles the JSE Main and the USD Market PE ratios based on last traded prices and earnings forecasts for companies with the financial year ending around August 2026.
At the close of trading, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund climbed $2.60 to finish at $43.85 in switching ownership of 150 shares, Guardian Holdings dropped $4 to $340 with investors trading 175 units, Jamaica Broilers fell 42 cents to $14.13 with 118,048 shares passing through the market. Jamaica Producers popped 48 cents in closing at $22.50 in an exchange of 12,530 stock units, Kingston Properties shed 90 cents to close at $10 with investors dealing in 5,644 stocks, Mayberry Group rallied 87 cents to $5.97 after an exchange of 9,564 units. NCB Financial lost $1.01 to $58.99 with 53,814 shares clearing the market, Sagicor Group rose 70 cents to finish at $38.90 with an exchange of 23,915 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund advanced $1.22 to $8.30 after a transfer of 5,600 stocks. 
Salada Foods increased 45 cents in closing at $2.35 in an exchange of 112,681 shares, Seprod dipped $1.98 to $75, following trading in 8,252 stock units, Supreme Ventures gained 59 cents to close at $17.90 with a transfer of 636,275 stocks and Wisynco Group rose 90 cents to $20.90 with 26,843 units changing hands.
In the preference share segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share advanced $2.88 in closing at $19.20 after a transfer of just one share, 138 Student Living preference share skidded $25 to finish at $175 with 7 stock units crossing the market. Productive Business Solutions 10.5% popped $42 and ended at $1,200 with investors trading 173 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% increased $1.99 to end at $105.99 with 73 units crossing the market.
Prices of stocks trading are those of the last transaction unless otherwise stated.