The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended on Thursday, with modest gains following a 37 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded as 59 percent less money entered the market compared to Wednesday, with 56 securities trading compared to 52 on Wednesday, resulting in prices of 15 stocks rising, 23 declining and 18 unchanged.
Investors traded 6,862,645 shares for $82,023,834 down from 10,894,043 units at $200,361,949 on Wednesday. Trading averages 122,547 units at $1,464,711, versus 209,501 shares at $3,853,114 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 203,473 units at $2,825,479, compared to 208,980 units at $2,918,070 on the previous day. August closed with an average of 738,534 units at $5,975,613.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 1.78 million shares for 25.9 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.14 million units for 16.6 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Windfarm with 622,424 units for 9.1 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 59.03 points to 404,853.42, the JSE Main Index rallied 327.78 points to 355,813.87 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.07 points to settle at 84.26.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 13.5 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios incorporate earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending between November and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments advanced $3 to $91 in an exchange of 348,765 shares, Caribbean Cement dropped $3 to end at $59.30 after trading 57,589 stock units, Caribbean Producers fell 55 cents to $13.25 with the swapping of 88,466 stocks. Eppley rose $1.48 in closing at $40.50, with 69 units crossing the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained $1.58 to close at $43.98 with investors transferring 2,537 stock units, Jamaica Broilers dipped $1.10 to close at $28.20 after an exchange of 8,179 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange declined 51 cents to end at $16.49, with 58,696 shares crossing the market, Massy Holdings fell $1.01 to $85 with a transfer of 808 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities shed $2.56 in ending at $10 after exchanging 4,400 units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy increased $16 in closing at $84 with a mere two stock units traded, NCB Financial dipped $1 to $89 in trading 123,829 shares, Proven Investments declined 50 cents in closing at $30.01 after exchanging 35,422 stocks. 
Sagicor Group dropped 49 cents to $50.01 after trading 26,985 units, Scotia Group lost $1 to close at $33.50 after 23,423 stock units changed hands and Seprod shed $3 to end at $65, with 52,792 stocks crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share popped 67 cents to end at $7.33 as investors exchanged 1,099 shares and 138 Student Living preference share fell $1.75 to $50, with 11 stocks clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
