Stocks bounced on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday, with the All Jamaican Composite Index climbing 1,934.62 points to 362,568.49, the JSE Main Index rallied 1,934.16 points to settle at 314,199.59 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.36 points to 64.87, following a 40 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded, with a 43 percent greater value than on Thursday, with trading in 55 securities compared with 58 on Thursday, with prices of 21 rising, 24 declining and 10 ending unchanged.
The market closed with 5,596,297 shares being traded with a value of $75,969,569, versus 9,333,460 units at $53,087,327 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 101,751 shares valued an average of $1,381,277 compared to 160,922 stocks at $915,277 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 279,229 units at $1,838,549 compared with 301,067 shares at $1,894,813 on the previous day and July with an average of 270,399 stock units at $2,493,078.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 2.05 million shares for 36.6 percent of total volume, followed by NCB Financial, with 762,117 units for 13.6 percent of the day’s trade and JMMB Group 10% with 650,000 stocks for 11.6 percent of the volume traded.
At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.8. The JSE Main and the 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 the market, Caribbean Cement rose 65 cents to close at $91.50 after 2,514 shares were traded, Eppley dropped $1.94 to $30.06 after trading of 2,283 stocks, General Accident gained 38 cents to end at $5.38 with 361 units switching ownership. Jamaica Stock Exchange sank 68 cents in closing at $12.26 with 872 shares clearing the market, JMMB Group rose 36 cents to finish at $19.01, with the swapping of 29,405 stock units, Kingston Wharves advanced by $1 and ended at $32 with a transfer of 2,175 shares. Margaritaville shed $1.64 to close at $9.28 as investors exchanged 1,018 stock units, Massy Holdings climbed $1 in closing at $77 with an exchange of 61 stocks, NCB Financial increased $1.91 and ended at $41.41 with an exchange of 762,117 units.
Pan Jamaica fell $1.49 to close at $48.51, with 6,434 shares passing through the market, Proven Investments sank $1.13 to end at $16, with investors trading 22,597 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rallied 55 cents to finish at $7.70, with traders exchanging 2,519 units. Scotia Group rose 70 cents and ended at $55.70 with investors trading 7,167 stocks, Stanley Motta lost 43 cents in finishing at $6 with 1,819 shares crossing the market and Sterling Investments rallied 52 cents in closing at $3.68 with investors dealing in 1,571 stock units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% increased $6.45 to end at $43 with 100 stock units changing hands and 138 Student Living preference share climbed $3 to finish at $203 with 5 stocks crossing the exchange.Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.