The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market closed on Friday, with a 56 percent drop in the volume of stocks traded, even as the value jumped 49 percent over Thursday’s activity following trading in 58 securities, up from 55 on Thursday, with prices of 22 rising, 19 declining and 17 ending unchanged, with several stocks posting big price movements. At the close the All Jamaican Composite Index dipped 377.21 points to 372,580.00, the JSE Main Index rallied 518.99 points to 325,379.98 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.41 points to finish at 68.30.
The market closed with 6,354,185 shares trading for $108,084,361 compared with 14,473,698 stock units at $72,415,760 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 109,555 shares for $1,863,523 in comparison with 263,158 stocks at $1,316,650 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 184,318 stock units at $1,597,346 compared with April that ended with an average of 1,417,136 stocks at $6,010,754.
Transjamaican Highway was the leading traded stock with 2.81 million shares for 44.2 percent of total volume, followed by Massy Holdings which ended with 991,704 units for 15.6 percent of the day’s trade and Sygnus Credit Investments with 423,982 stocks for 6.7 percent of the volume traded.
At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four 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 13.6. 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 AS Bryden increased $2.54 to close at $33 in an exchange of 1,025 shares, Berger Paints climbed 99 cents to $7.85 with trading in 100 stocks, Caribbean Cement rose $3.52 and ended at $86.49 in swapping ownership of 2,834 units. Guardian Holdings rose $2 to finish at $347 with 1,157 stocks being traded, Jamaica Broilers popped $3 to end at $31 with an exchange of 70,802 stock units, Jamaica Producers rallied $1 in closing at $23.50 after trading of 1,004 shares. Jamaica Stock Exchange sank 45 cents to $12.50 and closed with an exchange of 4,072 stock units, Kingston Wharves advanced 65 cents to close at $28.40 with investors trading 150 units, Margaritaville lost $4 to finish at $11 after 1,196 stocks passed through the market. Massy Holdings dropped $1.10 and ended at $78.40 with investors trading 991,704 shares, NCB Financial rose $1.98 in closing at $47 with 7,685 stock units crossing the market, Pan Jamaica fell $1.90 to end at $53 with investors swapping 10,087 stocks.