Barita trading high volumes since announcing to buy shares to populate the staff option portfolio.
Barita Investments, one of the volume leaders in the Main Market on Friday accounted for more than a third of the value of stocks traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market and helped to push the volume of stocks traded up 211 percent and the value 491 percent higher than on Thursday, with 58 securities trading compared to 56 on Thursday, with prices of 25 rising, 19 declining and 14 ending unchanged.
Investors exchanged 21,314,565 shares for $485,002,686 up from 6,862,645 units at $82,023,834 on Thursday. Trading averaged 367,493 units at $8,362,115, versus 122,547 shares at $1,464,711 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 213,626 units at $3,168,195, compared to 203,473 units at $2,825,479 on the previous day. August closed with an average of 738,534 units at $5,975,613.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 9.18 million shares for 43.1 percent of total volume followed by Supreme Ventures with 4.71 million units for 22.1 percent of the day’s trade, Barita Investments ended with 1.74 million units for 8.2 percent of trade share and Massy Holdings with 1.23 million units for 5.8 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index increased 1,975.07 points to 406,828.49, the JSE Main Index increased 284.34 points to 356,098.21 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.60 points to settle at 84.86.
The PE Ratio, a formula 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.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments popped $3 to $94 with 1,743,018 shares crossing the exchange, Caribbean Cement rose $1.70 to $61 as investors exchanged 21,036 stock units, Caribbean Producers rose 75 cents to $14 in an exchange of 23,344 stocks. Carreras dropped 49 cents to end at $8.50 with 204,917 units crossing the market, Eppley lost $2.01 to close at $38.49 with the swapping of 514 stock units, First Rock Real Estate climbed $2 to $13.50 while exchanging 89,910 stocks. GraceKennedy dipped $1.25 to end at $92 in switching ownership of 139,928 units, Guardian Holdings gained $24.87 to close at $519.97 with a transfer of 250 shares, Jamaica Broilers advanced $1.10 to $29.30 with an exchange of 21,115 stock units. Jamaica Stock Exchange fell 49 cents in closing at $16 after trading 19,419 units, Kingston Properties declined $1.05 in ending at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.95 after a transfer of 59,297 stocks, Kingston Wharves rallied $5.10 to $44, with 44,779 shares clearing the market. Massy Holdings increased $5 in closing at $90, with 1,229,433 units changing hands, Mayberry Jamaican Equities climbed $3.01 to end at $13.01 with investors transferring 414,835 stock units, Palace Amusement shed $119.95 to close at $730.05 trading two shares. PanJam Investment rallied $1.69 to close at $59.99 after exchanging 33,816 stocks, Portland JSX advanced $1.52 to end at $10.52 in trading 501 units, Supreme Ventures rose $1.65 to $30 in exchanging 4,714,407 stocks. 
Sygnus Real Estate Finance gained $1.42 after ending at $10.91, with 200 stock units changing hands.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share lost $1.33 in closing at $6, with 200 shares crossing the market and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share fell $9.50 in ending at $140 after exchanging two shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
