Sizable losses hit the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday, with prices of 26 stocks declining, just 12 rising and 18 ending unchanged, following trading in 56 securities, up from 54 on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 38 percent and the value 35 percent more than on Wednesday.
Investors exchanged 6,536,660 shares for $52,361,399, up from 4,749,460 stocks at $38,772,140 on Wednesday.
Trading closed with an average of 116,726 shares at $935,025 compared to 87,953 stocks at $718,003 on Wednesday and for the month to date an average of 123,997 stock units at $940,862, compared with 126,465 shares at $942,844 on the previous day and October with an average of 210,503 stock units at $1,467,012.
Leading highway operators, Transjamaican Highway, led trading with 3.02 million shares for 46.2 percent of total volume, followed by QWI Investments which ended with just 421,638 units for 6.5 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Energy with 370,886 stocks for 5.7 percent of the volume traded.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped by 3,317.56 points to end at 361,025.57, the JSE Main Index dived 3,443.73 points to finish at 316,738.21 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 1.03 points to conclude trading at 65.38. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 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 13.2. 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 2026.
At the close of a day of moderate trades, AS Bryden dipped $2.50 and ended at $32.50, following trading of 54,481 shares, Barita Investments dropped $4.19 to $77.80 in an exchange of 22,155 units, Berger Paints slipped 64 cents to finish at $6 with traders dealing in 86,510 shares. Caribbean Cement rose $1.95 to end at $92.95 in switching ownership of 20,834 stock units, Eppley fell $1.50 in closing at $33.50 with an exchange of 1,784 stocks, General Accident jumped 90 cents to close at $6.49 trading 138,777 shares, following the announcement that the company is acquiring the Trinidad based Beacon Insurance. GraceKennedy popped $1.50 to $70.50 with an exchange of 8,356 stock units, 
Guardian Holdings dropped $5 to end at $365, after 695 stocks were traded, Jamaica Producers lost 40 cents in closing at $22.20 as investors exchanged 38,389 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange increased 49 cents and ended at $11.99 after 150 stocks changed hands, Mayberry Jamaican Equities climbed $1.38 to finish at $9.48 with a transfer of 500 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy declined $1.28 to close at $47.02 after an exchange of 20 shares. Proven Investments shed 49 cents to close at $16 in trading 4,158 stock units, Sagicor Group sank $2.01 to finish at $39.98, after 66,439 shares passed through the market and Scotia Group skidded $1 and ended at $52 with investors trading 234,469 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.