GraceKennedy and NCB Financial were the two most prominent traded stocks on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday, pushing the volume of stocks traded up by 64 percent and the value 469 percent higher than on Wednesday, with both stocks accounting for 45 percent of the volume and 88 percent in value with the market ending with trading in 60 securities compared with 61 on Wednesday, with prices of 17 rising, 22 declining and 21 ending unchanged.
The market closed with 33,308,007 shares trading for $1,000,353,283 up from 20,258,733 stock units at $175,672,244 on Wednesday.
Trading on Thursday ended with an average of 555,133 stock units at $16,672,555 well over the 332,110 shares that were exchanged for $2,879,873 on Wednesday and for the month to date, an average of 252,150 units at $2,532,298 versus 237,126 shares at $1,831,129 on the previous day and December with an average of 967,720 stock units at $18,390,902.
NCB Financial led trading with 9.02 million shares with a value of $432 million, for 27.1 percent of total volume followed by GraceKennedy with 6.0 million stocks valued at $432 million, for 18 percent of the day’s traded volume, JMMB Group 7.35% – 2028 closed with 5.18 million stocks for 15.5 percent of the volume traded, Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 4.62 million units for 13.9 percent of the day’s trade, Wigton Energy ended with 2.48 million units for 7.4 percent of the market’s volume and Transjamaican Highway with 2.29 million units for 6.9 percent of market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index inched a mere 15.69 points higher to close at 384,355.15, the JSE Main Index gained 117.82 points to finish at 332,778.25 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.42 points to 68.50. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 15.5. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
At the close of trading activities, AS Bryden fell $1.10 to end at $30.60 in switching ownership of 2,694 stocks, Caribbean Cement declined by $2.49 in closing at $82.51 after trading 74,900 units, General Accident rallied 43 cents to $6.45 after a transfer of 116,494 shares. GraceKennedy increased 70 cents to close at $73.90 after 6,004,166 stock units changed hands, Guardian Holdings popped $6.70 and ended at $308.70 after an exchange of 2,363 shares, Jamaica Producers dropped $1 to finish at $24 with 703 stocks crossing the market. JMMB Group climbed 85 cents to $22.10 with traders dealing in 137,439 units,
Kingston Properties rose 41 cents to close at $9.59 after an exchange of 303,063 stock units, Kingston Wharves gained 39 cents and ended at $32.89 with the trading of 66,997 shares. Massy Holdings advanced $1.51 to end at $84 with investors swapping 151,402 stocks, Mayberry Group shed 46 cents in closing at $7.53 in an exchange of 3,210 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities declined 59 cents to finish at $9.40 with investors trading 1,540 stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments rose 74 cents to $12.74 in an exchange of 18,612 shares.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% advanced $1 to end at $43 with investors dealing in 107 stocks, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% popped $4 in closing at $2,690 with a transfer of 40 units. 138 Student Living preference share sank $43.12 to finish at $244.38 as investors exchanged 37 stock units and Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share skidded $49.99 and ended at $1,050 in trading 130 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.