Transjamaican Highway closed at a record high of $12.70 after climbing a solid $1.42, with the volume of stocks trading rising 35 percent on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday, with at a slightly lower value compared to Tuesday. Trading ended with 59 securities changing hands similar to Tuesday, with prices of 24 rising, 27 declining and eight ending unchanged.
The market closed following an exchange of 24,918,385 shares for $213,647,357 compared to 18,467,471 stocks with a value of $241,065,021 on Tuesday.
Trading ended with an average of 422,346 shares at a value of $3,621,142, with 313,008 stock units at $4,085,848 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 369,799 units at $4,794,013 compared with 343,964 shares at $5,370,674 on the previous day and well above July that closed with an average of 294,201 stock units at $3,175,664.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 11.06 million shares for 44.4 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Energy which ended with 6.58 million stocks for 26.4 percent of the day’s trade and Lasco Distributors with 2.27 million units for 9.1 percent of stocks traded, following release of positive first quarter results.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 2,130.90 points to end at 449,254.35, the JSE Main Index advanced 1,615.50 points to conclude trading at 376,719.18 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.14 points to settle at 70.04. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 18 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.8. ICInsider.com compiles the JSE Main and the USD Market PE ratios based on last traded prices and earnings forecasts for companies with the financial year ending around August 2026.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments declined $1.50 to finish at $65.50, with 14,444 units crossing the market, Caribbean Cement rose $2 to $116 with an exchange of 6,346 stock units, Carreras rallied 43 cents and ended at $35.91 with an exchange of 497,416 shares. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund fell $2.80 to close at $39.20 with investors trading 3,457 stock units, GraceKennedy dropped 50 cents in closing at $75.50, after an exchange of 45,147 shares, Guardian Holdings lost $7 to end at $360 after 9,431 stock units passed through the market. Proven Investments dipped 56 cents in closing at $9.34 after an exchange of 25,370 units,
Quantas Advantage shed 56 cents to $15 in trading 174,203 stocks, Sagicor Real Estate Fund slipped $2.50 and ended at $6.50, with 38,255 shares changing hands. Scotia Group skidded 44 cents and ended at $57.06 after an exchange of 230,489 stocks, Transjamaican Highway increased $1.42 to close at a record high of $12.70 after trading of 11,057,816 stock units and West Indies Petroleum lost $1.29 to end at $8.60, with 11,336 stock units crossing the market.
In the preference share segment, Sygnus Credit Investments 10% climbed $13 in closing at $113 after a transfer of 252 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% ended with an exchange of 893 stocks after falling by $2.51 and ended at $103.99.Prices of securities trading are those of the last transaction.
The market closed following an exchange of 24,918,385 shares for $213,647,357 compared with 18,467,471 stocks with a value of $241,065,021 on Tuesday.
At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 18 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund slipped $2.50 and ended at $6.50, with 38,255 shares changing hands. Scotia Group skidded 44 cents and ended at $57.06 after an exchange of 230,489 stock units, Transjamaican Highway increased $1.42 to close at a record high of $12.70 after trading of 11,057,816 stock units and West Indies Petroleum lost $1.29 to end at $8.60, with 11,336 stock units crossing the market.
At the close of the market activity, the JSE Combined Market Index advanced 1,825.77 points to end at 381,195.05, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed up by 2,130.90 points to 449,254.35, the JSE Main Index gained 1,615.50 points to finish at 376,719.18, the Junior Market Index increased 39.16 points to settle at 2,925.57 and the JSE USD Market Index rallied by 13.07 points to a new record high of 309.92.
Among the losers, Guardian Holdings dipped $7 to close at $360.00, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund fell $2.80 to end at $39.20, Sagicor Real Estate Fund shed $2.50 to $6.50, Barita Investments lost $1.50 to finish at $65.50 and West Indies Petroleum skidded $1.29 and ended at $8.60.
The healthy increase is fueled by West Indies Petroleum a solid outperforming stock, well above others, after rising 598 percent, but lower than the much higher level of $14 on January 14 when it peaked at an uncanny high. The price has since cooled but still excessively high, with a PE ratio of 178.
The biggest losers include movie house, Palace Amusement Company with a decline of 60 percent, followed by MPC Caribbean Energy, down 38 percent while the investment house, Proven Investments, ended with a loss of 35 percent, Portland PJX lost 34 percent followed by a Caribbean Producers with a fall of 30 percent.
The market closed with trading of 18,467,471 shares with valued at $241,065,021, in comparison with 22,808,177 stocks at $403,415,861 on Monday.
The Main Market ended trading with the average PE Ratio at 15.4. ICInsider.com compiles the JSE Main and the USD Market PE ratios based on last traded prices and forecasted earnings that for companies with the financial year ending around August 2026.
Kingston Wharves increased 76 cents to end at $34 with investors trading 24,830 units, Pan Jamaica declined $1.51 to close at $43.49 after an exchange of 8,252 stocks. Proven Investments climbed $1.09 to $9.90 in trading 18,689 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rallied 50 cents and ended at $9 with a transfer of 597 stocks, Scotia Group increased 49 cents to close at $57.50 after trading of 34,390 units. Seprod dipped $1.50 in closing at $72.50 in an exchange of 16,979 stock units and Sygnus Real Estate Finance fell $2.11 to end at $7.39 with 2,104 shares crossing the market.
The market closed with trading of 12,830,628 shares for $18,784,439, after sliding from 14,700,213 units at $20,457,438 on Monday.
ICInsider.com compiles the PE ratios, derived by dividing the last traded price of a stock by earnings per share for companies with their fiscal year ending around August 2026.
Knutsford Express skidded 50 cents to close at $6.60 with investors trading 7,130 stock units. Lasco Financial advanced 10 cents to $1.62 in switching ownership of 3,825 shares, Main Event dipped 17 cents to close at $4.50 after a transfer of 16,076 units, Medical Disposables fell 8 cents to finish at $1 as investors exchanged 164,207 stocks. ONE on ONE Educational dipped 12 cents and ended at 69 cents with a transfer of 79,325 stock units, Paramount Trading lost 12 cents in closing at 90 cents after an exchange of 899,018 shares and Regency Petroleum shed 10 cents to end at $4.34 with 37,780 stocks crossing the market.
The market closed after trading of 22,808,177 shares with a value of $403,415,861, down from trading of 41,753,131 stock units valued at $323,847,100 on Friday.
At the close of trading, AS Bryden dropped $2 to end at $25 with 941 units passing through the market, Barita Investments fell 40 cents to $66.90 following trading in 26,755 stocks, Berger Paints skidded 50 cents and ended at $5 as investors traded 94,609 shares. Carreras rallied $1.01 in closing at $36.50 after trading of 193,497 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund popped $1.05 to finish at $43.99 in the trading of 83 shares, General Accident fell 75 cents to close at $8.25 with investors trading 2,987 stock units. GraceKennedy gained 55 cents to end at $76.25 after an exchange of 24,458 units, Guardian Holdings dipped $5 to end at $365 with investors swapping 8,125 stocks, Jamaica Producers rose 98 cents in closing at $21.98 in switching ownership of 452 units. Kingston Properties slipped 55 cents to $10.45 with investors dealing in 591 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing declined 52 cents and ended at $7.18 with 15,425 shares crossing the market, Pan Jamaica shed 95 cents to finish at $45 with an exchange of 11,935 stock units. Quantas Advantage declined 50 cents and ended at $15.50 with 39,274 shares clearing the market, Sagicor Real Estate Fund shed 50 cents to close at $8.50 after an exchange of 3,436 stock units,
Scotia Group fell 49 cents to end at $57.01 with 21,179 stock units changing hands. Seprod dropped by $1 in closing at $74 after an exchange of 38,676 stocks, Transjamaican Highway advanced 56 cents to close at $10.95 with 6,535,147 shares crossing the market and the West Indies Petroleum climbed 76 cents to finish at $9.90 after a transfer of 11,594 stocks.
The market closed with trading of 14,700,213 shares for $20,457,438, after falling from 23,106,280 units at $37,269,312 on Friday.
Caribbean Flavours rose 8 cents to end at $1.18 following trading of 3,069 stocks, Consolidated Bakeries dipped 25 cents to end at $1.20 in an exchange of 36 shares, Derrimon Trading lost 19 cents in closing at a 52 weeks low of $1.01 in trading of 766,266 units. Dolphin Cove climbed $1.96 to $12.17 with 2,965 stocks clearing the market, Express Catering rallied by 5 cents to $2 after an exchange of 73,804 stock units, Fosrich slipped 16 cents to end at $1.40 with 195,974 shares crossing the market. GWest Corporation rallied 9 cents to close at 68 cents with a transfer of 4,281 stocks, Image Plus popped 8 cents to finish at $1.20 after an exchange of 414,373 units, Indies Pharma fell 5 cents and ended at $2.70 with 30,043 stock units crossing the market. Jamaican Teas skidded 18 cents to $2.05 after a transfer of 179,270 shares, Jetcon Corporation gained 61 cents to end at a 52 weeks high of $4.04 with 292,552 units passing through the market, Knutsford Express dropped 37 cents to close at $7.10 following an exchange of 2,778 stocks. Lasco Financial shed 13 cents and ended at $1.52 after investorrs dealt in 129,950 stock units, Limners and Bards declined 19 cents to finish at $1 in switching ownership of 91,720 shares,
Lumber Depot fell 6 cents to close at $2.69 as investors exchanged 6,958 stocks. Mailpac Group declined 8 cents to $2.55 with trading of 323,818 stock units, Omni Industries rose 8 cents in closing at 96 cents with 54,835 stock units crossing the exchange, ONE on ONE Educational climbed 6 cents and ended at 81 cents after an exchange of 50,593 shares. Regency Petroleum shed 5 cents to finish at $4.44 with an exchange of 12,724 units and Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 10 cents to end at $1.52 with 39,309 stocks passing through the market.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index fell 974.90 points to finish at 377,998.89, the All Jamaican Composite Index lost 866.39 points to 444,683.49, the JSE Main Index shed 727.69 points to finish at 373,284.61, the Junior Market Index slipped 38.89 points to 2,937.81 and the JSE USD Market Index shed 12.51 points to end at 286.07.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.75% preference share shed $3.04 in closing at $17, Jamaica Public Service 7% dropped $1.05 to $38, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% fell $40 to end at $2,200, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% dived $51 to end at $1,187 and Sygnus Credit Investments 10% dropped by $13.50 to finish at $100.
Jetcon Corporation surged to the top of the market with gains of 129 percent, next is Future Energy, up by a solid 26 percent, following 2026 full year results to March. Jetcon’s profit surged 567 percent in the first quarter to 10 cents per share and seems on track for 45 cents for the full year.
The year to date performance should not be taken as a foregone conclusion that the year will end as badly as it started. First quarter results of the Junior Market companies show more than half of them recording increased profits, a sign that prices of these stocks should rise in the months ahead if the positive profit trend continues for the majority of listed Junior Market stocks.