JSE Main Market driven higher


Investors drove the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market Index up by a solid 1,868.46 points on Thursday, pushing the gains for the year to 4.3 percent, with Transjamaican Highway and newly listed West Indies Petroleum being the two major contributors. At the close of trading, the volume of stocks traded rose 40 percent and the value climbed by 80 percent over Wednesday, resulting from 59 securities changing owners, down from 62 on Wednesday, with prices of only 16 rising, 26 declining and 17 ending unchanged.

Trading closed with an exchange of 18,732,577 shares valued at $100,569,406, after it increased from 13,423,567 stock units at $55,863,861 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 317,501 shares at $1,704,566, after rising from 216,509 stock units at $901,030 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 233,160 stock units at $1,435,883, in close alignment with 227,312 shares at $1,417,255 on the previous day, but well off from December with an average of 395,435 units at $4,321,753.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 14.10 million shares for 75.2 percent of the total volume followed by Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund, ending with 1.20 million stocks for 6.4 percent of the day’s trade and Innovative Energy with 1.10 million stock units for 5.9 percent of the volume traded.
The All Jamaican Composite Index popped 1,818.80 points to finish at 384,385.78, the JSE Main Index popped 1,868.46 points to end at 331,596.95 and the JSE Financial Index advanced 0.29 points to finish at 63.65. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 17. The JSE Main and the USD Market PE ratios are based on last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with fiscal years ending around August 2026.
At the close of the market, AS Bryden advanced 80 cents to end at $32 with 9 shares crossing the market, while Barita Investments popped 53 cents to $71.53 after trading 3,491 units, GraceKennedy dipped 95 cents and ended at $71 after traders swapped 21,302 shares, Guardian Holdings fell $4 to close at $340 with investors trading 469 stock units. Massy Holdings declined 40 cents to finish at $74 with 7,594 stocks passing through the market, Mayberry Jamaican Equities climbed $1.68 in closing at $8.23 with a transfer of 5,264 units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rose $2 to $44 with investors dealing in 348 stocks. Pan Jamaica shed 79 cents and ended at $49.51 with 14,760 shares changing hands, Proven Investments dropped 37 cents to finish at $14.13 with an exchange of 6,315 stock units, Sagicor Group gained 81 cents in closing at $41.51 with 1,251 shares crossing the market, Seprod lost 87 cents to end at $79 in an exchange of 6,765 stock units and West Indies Petroleum rallied $1.35 to close at $8.35 with stock market speculators trading in 7,677 stocks.
In the preference segment, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% skidded $2 to $1,133 after an exchange of 80 units and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% declined by $1.24 and ended at $98.75 with investors swapping 942 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.

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