The selloff in shares of Transjamaican Highway, Jamaica’s first toll-road operator continued on Monday following the announcement by the country’s Prime Minister of the sale of government interest in the company in a public offer. With that potential offer hanging over the market, investors would be more inclined to hold off buying currently and await the offer rather than tying up funds now, at a price that could head lower.
At the close of the day the stock dropped 17 cents to close at $4.03 in heavy trading that went as low as $3.87. Elsewhere, trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended, with the volume of stocks traded overall declining 11 percent and the value 10 percent lower than on Friday, following trading in 61 securities compared with 60 on Friday, with prices of 25 rising, 22 declining and 14 ending unchanged.
The market closed with 13,163,986 shares trading for $64,249,076 down from 14,725,334 stocks at $71,113,191 on Friday. Trading averaged 215,803 shares at $1,053,264 just below 245,422 stocks at $1,185,220 on Friday and month to date, an average of 229,728 units at $1,748,852 compared with 230,553 shares at $1,790,087 on the previous day and December with an average of 967,720 stock units at $18,390,902.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 9.17 million shares for 69.7 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Energy which ended with 790,747 stock units for 6 percent of the day’s trade and JMMB Group 7.35% – 2028 with 613,148 stocks for 4.7 percent of the volume traded.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 3,023.20 points to 387,639.84, the JSE Main Index climbed 2,377.58 points to settle at 334,994.37 and the JSE Financial Index increased a mere 0.16 points to finish at 68.98. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 10 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.5. 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 a moderate day of trading, AS Bryden rose $1.79 and ended at $31.79 with 667 shares switching owners, Barita Investments declined 37 cents to $73.62 after a transfer of 4,026 stocks, Caribbean Cement rallied $1.80 to end at $88 with 4,537 units changing hands. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund popped $1 in closing at $38 in an exchange of 317 stock units, First Rock Real Estate climbed 77 cents to close at $9.97 with 62,629 shares passing through the market, GraceKennedy lost 80 cents to finish at $73.10 with investors dealing in 10,883 stock units.
Guardian Holdings slipped $8 to $301 after an exchange of 4,500 stocks, JMMB Group increased 50 cents to close at $21 with 122,580 units crossing the market, Kingston Wharves gained $1.24 to end at $31.97 with an exchange of 46,289 shares. Margaritaville advanced 49 cents in closing at $14.69 with just 6 stocks being traded, NCB Financial fell 40 cents and ended at $50.10 with a transfer of 136,686 stocks, Sagicor Group popped $1.94 to finish at $39.99 with investors swapping 9,289 units. Seprod advanced $1.49 and ended at $85.50 after an exchange of 2,433 shares and Stanley Motta rose $1.29 to $7.70 in trading a mere 350 units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% sank $4 to close at $2,686 with 15 stocks crossing the exchange and 138 Student Living preferred share drpoped $40.87 to end at $238 with traders dealing in 54 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.