In a bullish trading session rising stocks outpaced decliners and sending the market index sharply higher at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended on Friday, with the All Jamaican Composite Index popping by a sharp 6,066.86 points to 407,345.70, the JSE Main Index rallied 4,167.59 points to settle at 346,738.50 and the JSE Financial Index rose 0.78 points to 64.34.
The volume of stocks traded rose by a mere 4 percent, more importantly, the value dropped 39 percent lower compared to Thursday, with trading ending in 58 securities, as is the case on Friday, resulting in prices of 25 rising, 16 declining and 17 ending unchanged.
Market activities closed with 16,647,376 shares being traded for $126,834,342 compared to 15,661,126 stocks units valued at $201,980,366 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 287,024 shares at $2,186,799, compared to 270,019 stock units at $3,482,420 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 212,156 units at $2,887,406 compared with 208,347 shares at $2,923,051 on the previous day and February with an average of 296,521 stock units at $2,650,049.
Sagicor Select Financial Fund led trading with 5.47 million shares for 32.8 percent of total volume, followed by Supreme Ventures which ended with 3.40 million stocks for 20.4 percent of the day’s trade, Transjamaican Highway closed with 2.09 million stocks for 12.5 percent of the volume traded and Radio Jamaica with 1.66 million units for 10 percent of market share.
At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight 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 21.3. The Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on last traded prices and earnings that are compiled by ICInsider.com for companies with fiscal year ending around August 2026.
At the close, Caribbean Cement sank $1.62 to finish at $107.48 trading 6,150 shares, Eppley rose $1.41 to a 52 weeks high of $42 with an exchange of 727 stocks, First Rock Real Estate rallied $1.25 in closing at $11 after 165,316 shares passed through the market. General Accident popped 94 cents to end at $6.58 in switching ownership of 7,208 units, Guardian Holdings declined $2.50 and ended at $335, with 1,938 stock units crossing the exchange, Jamaica Stock Exchange advanced $1.08 to close at $12 with a transfer of 100,553 shares.
Kingston Properties increased $1.42 to a 52 weeks high of $12, with 18,335 stocks clearing the market, Kingston Wharves climbed $1.50 to $37.50 in an exchange of 7,345 units, Lasco Manufacturing gained 50 cents in closing at $6.70 with investors swapping 11,791 units. Massy Holdings sank 90 cents and ended at $72 after a transfer of 1,898 shares, Pan Jamaica rose $3.81 to close at $52.80 in trading of 84,176 units, Proven Investments climbed $2.23 to finish at $14.50 and closed after 251,228 stocks were traded. Sagicor Real Estate Fund increased 72 cents and ended at $9.87 after an exchange of 1,757 stock units, Seprod dropped $1 to $77.50, with 105,260 shares crossing the market, Sterling Investments popped 40 cents to finish at $3.50 with investors trading 446,788 stocks. Supreme Ventures shed $1.15 to close at $16.05, with 3,397,677 units crossing the market and Sygnus Real Estate Finance gained 40 cents to end at $10.90 as investors exchanged 200 stock units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% lost $6.85 in closing at $36.12, with 100 shares changing hands and Productive Business Solutions 10.5% advanced $40 to $1,190 in an exchange of 74 stocks.Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.