Guardian Holdings, the Trinidad and Tobago insurance conglomerate, jumped $50 to close at a 52 weeks’ high on moderate trading to lead price movements on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Tuesday, with supply of the stock having dried up in this market, with just 1,100 shares on offer, with orders to buy, mostly just over $300. Trading in the wider market delivered a 50 percent increase in the volume of stocks traded, with an 88 percent greater value than on Monday.
The market activities closed with 54 securities changing hands, sliding from 63 on Monday, with prices of 15 rising, 27 declining and 12 ending unchanged and resulting in the All Jamaican Composite Index falling a solid 1,626.79 points to 370,172.87. The JSE Main Index advanced 450.89 points to 324,386.66 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.46 points to wrap up trading at 68.11.
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 market closed with 16,795,256 shares trading for $85,738,813 up from 11,213,430 stock units at $45,588,813 on Monday.
Trading averaged 311,023 shares at $1,587,756, rising from 177,991 stocks at $723,632 on Monday and month to date, an average of 211,594 units at $1,727,502, closely in line with 199,998 shares at $1,743,801 on the previous day, but well down on April with an average of 1,417,136 stock units at $6,010,754.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 10.28 million shares for 61.2 percent of total volume, following release of solid first quarter results this past Friday, followed by Wigton Energy which ended with 4.33 million stock units for 25.8 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 473,800 stocks for 2.8 percent of the volume traded.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.3. 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 advanced 90 cents to $30.90 after trading 286 shares, Caribbean Cement rose $4.97 in closing at $85.98 with investors clearing 3,969 stocks from the market, Eppley climbed $4.80 to $33.30 with trading in 28 units. Eppley Caribbean Property fell $2 and ended at $40 with trading in 5,989 shares, Guardian rose $50 to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $395, after hitting an intraday high of $450, with 1,489 stock units crossing the exchange, Jamaica Broilers sank $1.25 to finish at $27.25 with investors swapping 44,340 shares. JMMB Group skidded 40 cents to $20.20 with 59,455 stocks crossing the market, Kingston Wharves lost 40 cents to end at $28.59 with investors trading 1,249 units, Margaritaville sank 88 cents in closing at $13 after an exchange of 6,134 stock units. Massy Holdings shed $1.08 and ended at $77.91 with investors trading 226,827 shares, Mayberry Group dropped $1.30 to finish at $6.18 after a transfer of 13,679 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities gained 67 cents to close at $9.50 with traders dealing in 541 units. 
Pan Jamaica fell $1.80 to $51.20 with 502 units switching owners, Sagicor Group dipped $2.96 to close at $40.54 with 67,595 shares crossing the market, Scotia Group declined 41 cents to end at $57 with a transfer of 33,100 units. Seprod shed 70 cents in closing at $83 as 925 stocks changed hands and Supreme Ventures dropped 38 cents to $19.61, with investors exchanging 23,792 stock units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share fell $2.49 and ended at $17.50 with 3,000 shares passing through the market. 138 Student Living preference share slipped $8.65 to $232.85 in an exchange of 12 units and Sygnus Credit Investments 10% sank $2 to finish at $102 with investors dealing in 5,510 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.