Declining stocks hit Main Market hard

Declining stocks sent the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market sharply lower at the end of trading on Friday, with trading in 58 securities down from 54 on Thursday, with prices of 20 stocks rising, 18 declining and 20 unchanged with the volume of stocks traded rising a 192 percent and the value 331 percent more than on Thursday.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dived 4,210.54 points to 349,222.49, the JSE Main Index dropped by 2,656.40 points to close trading at 313,276.45 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.68 points to settle at 65.84.
Trading accounted for 18,284,634 shares for $210,425,299 up sharply from 6,262,498 units at $48,874,680 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 315,252 shares at $3,628,022 compared with 115,972 units at $905,087 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 237,508 units at $1,785,841 compared to 231,955 units at $1,654,256 on the previous day and May that closed with an average of 336,947 units at $2,177,110.
Jamaica Producers led trading with 6.64 million shares for 36.3 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 4.58 million stocks for 25.1 percent of the day’s trade and Transjamaican Highway with 3.25 million units for 17.8 percent of the day’s trade.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.9. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and earnings projected by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Berger Paints dipped $1.29 to close at $8 with investors trading 15,100 stock units, Caribbean Cement gained 98 cents to end at $62.26 after an exchange of 5,223 shares, Eppley popped $2.45 and ended at $38.95 with investors dealing in 250 stocks. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund fell $5 to end at $37 with 2,975 units clearing the market, GraceKennedy slipped 94 cents to close at $74.06 in an exchange of 52,515 shares, Guardian Holdings rallied $10 to finish at $360 and closed with an exchange of 861 units. Jamaica Broilers rose $1.35 to $33.35, with 1,812 stocks crossing the exchange, Jamaica Stock Exchange climbed 40 cents in closing at $10, with 11,301 stock units changing hands, JMMB Group sank $1.75 to end at a 52 weeks’ closing low of $22.25 in trading 894,112 shares. Kingston Wharves rose 96 cents to finish at $25, with 7,672 stocks crossing the market, Margaritaville shed $1.85 and ended at $13.60 in switching ownership of 69 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities advanced 40 cents to close at $9.52, with 209 stock units crossing the market. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $8.44 to $100 after a transfer of 107 shares, Pan Jamaica popped $2 to finish at $50 with investors trading 4,020 stocks, Scotia Group lost $2.04 and ended at $42.76 after 116,965 units passed through the market. Stanley Motta declined $1.01 to end at $5.90 as investors exchanged 18 stocks and Sterling Investments skidded 44 cents in closing at $1.95 in trading 22,862 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.