The number of stocks slipping exceeded those rising by a wide margin but that did not prevent the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market from recording gains in the major market indices at the close on Friday following fall in the volume of stocks traded by 38 percent, with the value 40 percent higher than on Thursday, resulting from trading in 56 securities down from 61 on Thursday, with prices of 15 rising, 24 declining and 17 ending unchanged.
The market closed with 15,326,884 shares trading worth $209,095,375, sliding from 24,639,843 stock units at $149,281,517 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 273,694 shares at $3,733,846 compared to 403,932 stocks at $2,447,238 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 237,764 units at $2,044,421, within the ballpark of 234,590 shares at $1,895,198 on the previous day and well below April with an average of 1,417,136 stocks at $6,010,754.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 5.76 million shares for 37.6 percent of total volume, followed by Supreme Ventures with 5.63 million stocks for 36.7 percent of the day’s trade and AS Bryden with 1.86 million units for 12.1 percent of the day’s volume.
The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 447.12 points to finish at 369,936.32, the JSE Main Index increased 1,275.19 points to settle at 323,655.85 and the JSE Financial Index popped 0.64 points to 68.38. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 12.9. 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, Berger Paints rallied 55 cents and ended at $7.62 after 4,015 shares were traded, Carreras lost 39 cents to $16 with 152,942 units crossing the exchange, Eppley sank 55 cents to end at $32.75 with investors trading 601 shares. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund shed $4.90 in closing at $37.10 as buyers walked off with 2,267 stocks, General Accident increased 40 cents to finish at $5.30 as investors passed 3,570 stock units through the market, Guardian Holdings popped $42 to close at $390 as investors exchanged 294 shares. Jamaica Broilers advanced 50 cents to $27.50 after a transfer of 15,256 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange sank 44 cents in closing at $12.76 with investors trading 26,074 stocks, JMMB Group dropped 35 cents and ended at $20.10 with an exchange of 13,907 stock units. Kingston Wharves rose 40 cents to end at $29.50 with 2,483 shares clearing the market, Margaritaville fell 89 cents to finish at $12.51 with a transfer of 85 stocks, 
Mayberry Group climbed $1.17 to close at $7.47 after an exchange of a mere 2 units. NCB Financial skidded $1.41 to $43.99, with 209,442 stock units crossing the market, with increased buying interest in Scotia Group in recent weeks, investors picked up 171,616 shares at $1.48 more in closing at $57.88 than the opening, Seprod declined $2.48 to end at $81.50 with 3,491 stock units switching owners. Supreme Ventures dipped 99 cents to close at $19 with investors swapping 5,628,924 stocks and Wisynco Group rose 74 cents and ended at $21.29 in an exchange of 38,641 units.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share advanced $56.50 to finish at $241.50 with 9 stocks crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.