Jamaica’s first toll road operators, Transjamaican Highway, sped away with just 80 percent of all shares traded on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday, helping to drive the volume of stocks traded up by 96 percent and the value a solid 76 percent higher than on Thursday, flowing from trading in 61 securities, slightly down from 62 on Thursday and ending with prices of only 12 rising, 30 declining and 19 ending unchanged including Sterling Investments and Scotia Group that traded at 52 weeks’ high of $2.99 and $59.95 respectively.
The market closed with 25,420,490 shares trading for $137,218,439 compared with 12,971,604 stock units at $78,127,187 on Thursday. Trading averaged 416,729 shares at $2,249,483 compared to 209,219 stocks at $1,260,116 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 257,311 stock units at $1,801,920 compared with 242,754 shares at $1,761,050 on the previous day and December averaging 967,720 stock units at $18,390,902.
Transjamaican Highway was the leading trade with 20.32 million shares for 79.9 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Energy which ended with 1.30 million units for 5.1 percent of the day’s trade and Carreras with 763,258 stocks for 3 percent of the volume traded.
The All Jamaican Composite Index skidded 257.67 points to 384,716.51, the JSE Main Index declined 685.56 points to conclude trading at 333,074.26 and the JSE Financial Index popped 0.11 points to close trading at 68.57. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 10 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 14.4. The JSE Main and 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 market activity on Friday, AS Bryden dropped $1.80 to finish at $30.20 after an exchange of 15,461 shares, Barita Investments declined 48 cents and ended at $73.50 with investors dealing in 9,711 stock units, Caribbean Cement shed $3.88 to close at $85.91 after exchanging 2,926 shares. Eppley rallied $2 to end at $37 with a transfer of 19 stock units, GraceKennedy sank 68 cents in closing at $74.02 after an exchange of 54,680 shares, Jamaica Broilers skidded $3.29 to close at $37.21 in trading 10,613 stock units. Jamaica Producers fell 95 cents to $23.70 after a transfer of 13,054 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 39 cents to close at $12.99 with traders dealing in 13,854 stocks, Kingston Wharves dropped $2.48 to end at $28.02 with 10,754 units passing through the market. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy fell $5 to finish at a 52 weeks’ low of $65 with investors trading 15 shares, 
NCB Financial advanced 55 cents and ended at $50.75 with 125,859 stock units crossing the market, Pan Jamaica dropped $5.10 to close at $50.89 with investors swapping 3,572 stocks. Seprod declined 60 cents to $85 with 3,652 units changing hands and Supreme Ventures sank 50 cents to close at $21.50 with an exchange of 11,992 stocks.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% dropped $1.94 to finish at $42 with 140 shares crossing the market and Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share popped $60 and ended at $1,055 with a mere 2 stock units switching owners.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.