The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market started the new year on Thursday, with investors acting like warm to the offerings at the start of the year and ended trading 67 percent less shares and exchanged 76 percent dollars than they did on Tuesday, while trading 61 securities down from 65 on Tuesday, with prices of 22 rising, 26 declining and 13 ending unchanged.
The Main Market closed after an exchange of 10,333,431 shares for $51,358,952 compared with 31,201,756 stock units valued at $215,989,231 on Tuesday. Trading ended with an average of 169,401 shares at $841,950 compared to 480,027 stocks at $3,322,911 on Tuesday and December with an average of 967,720 stock units at $18,390,902.
Wigton Energy was the leading trade with 3.85 million shares for 37.3 percent of the overall volume followed by Transjamaican Highway with 3.50 million units for 33.9 percent of the day’s trade and Pulse Investments with 571,191 stock units for 5.5 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 1,301.49 points to close trading at 386,928.50, the JSE Main Index rose 331.48 points to finish at 336,126.42 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.37 points to end at 68.04. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.8. 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, AS Bryden gained 69 cents to end at $30.69 in an exchange of 3,516 stocks, Berger Paints popped 75 cents to close at $8.45 after dealing in 29,235 units, Caribbean Cement fell 95 cents to $91.05 after the trading of 18,353 stock units. Caribbean Producers rallied 54 cents to $8.90 with 4,583 stocks crossing the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund rose $8 and ended at $37 with investors dealing in 3,400 units, First Rock Real Estate lost 55 cents to finish at $9.45 with 189,166 stocks passing through the market. Jamaica Broilers climbed $4.25 and ended at $42.20 after a transfer of 19,768 shares, JMMB Group dipped $1.17 to $21.18 with investors trading 28,529 stock units, Kingston Wharves sank $1.15 to end at $33.10 after an exchange of 3,366 shares. Lasco Manufacturing increased 48 cents to close at $7.98 with investors trading 111,705 stocks, Margaritaville advanced 76 cents to close at $14.10 with a mere 44 units changing hands, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rose 55 cents to finish at $11.82 after the trading of 5,852 stock units.
Pan Jamaica skidded $6.50 and ended at $52.50 as investors traded 33,164 shares, Sagicor Group climbed $1.40 to $41.40 with a transfer of 143,083 stocks Scotia Group popped 51 cents to end at $54.50 with 5,213 units crossing the changing owners, Seprod sank $5.23 to $87.17 with 222 stocks switching owners, Supreme Ventures slipped $2.25 to finish at $24.25 with 14,565 shares clearing the exchange and Wisynco Group dropped 49 cents to close at $21.50 with an exchange of 23,748 stocks.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% shed $8.95 to end at $35 with just 86 shares crossing the market, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share declined $2 to close at $1,118 with 73 stock units traded and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% sank $3.62 to close at $101.38 with 500 shares switching owners.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.