JSE main market broke through the 360,000 points level and now heading for 380,000 before any major resistance is likely to set in.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market ended August on a high and a 14.2 percent gain for the first 8 months of the year. The market chalked up no less than 8 record highs on the final day of the month and ended at a new closing high.
The market closed with the All Jamaican Composite Index surged 6,899.76 points to end at 361,566.65 and the JSE Index jumped 6,286.47 points to 329,428.09.
Market activities resulted in 34 securities trading including 3 in the US dollar market compared to 30 securities trading on Thursday. At the end of trading, the prices of 18 stocks rose, 9 declined and 7 closed trading, unchanged.
Trading in the main market ended with 8,271,949 units valued at $100,951,929, compared to 11,133,718 units valued at $276,180,979 on Thursday. The day’s volume was led by, Sygnus Credit Investments with 2,997,650 shares accounting for 36.24 percent of the volume traded, followed by WISYNCO Group with 1,451,195 units and 17.54 percent of the day’s volume and JMMB Group 7.50% preference share with 921,715 units and 11.14 percent of main market volume.
Trading resulted in an average of 266,837 units valued at over $3,256,514, in contrast to 383,921 shares valued at $9,523,482 on Thursday. For the month to date an average of 224,564 shares valued at $4,310,285 versus 222,224 units valued at $4,137,703 on Thursday. July closed with an average of 169,022 units valued at $3,514,756, for each security traded.
In the main market activity, Berger Paints rose 50 cents and ended at $21.50, trading just 300 stock units, Caribbean Cement jumped $3.50 to finish at $50 while trading 88,250 shares, Grace Kennedy ended trading 221,853 shares and rose $1 to close at $60, Jamaica Broilers lost 90 cents in trading 10,639 stock units at $26.10, Kingston Wharves lost $1.20 and finished at $61.80, after trading at a historical high of $65 in exchanging 55,088 stock units, NCB Financial Group declined by $1 to end trading 16,305 shares at $112 after trading at a new record high of $115, PanJam Investment jumped $2.70 and closed at $55 with 52,511 stock units changing hands, Pulse Investments concluded trading 3,947 shares at $2.80, after rising 40 cents, Sagicor Group gained $1 in exchanging 28,332 shares, to close at $39.05, 
Sagicor Real Estate Fund rose $1.50 and settled at $12.50, trading 770,200 shares, Scotia Group traded 21,049 units and rose 50 cents to end at $53, Seprod climbed $2 and finished trading 2,100 shares to end at $45, Sygnus Credit Investments traded 1,451,195 units and rose 50 cents to close at $12, Wisynco Group concluded trading 1,451,195 stock units, rising 54 cents to end at $9.49.
Trading in the US dollar market closed with 60,399 units valued US$13,825. Trading ended with Productivity Business ended trading 15,376 shares at 59 US cents, Proven Investments exchanging 3,000 shares to close at 23 US centsSygnus Credit Investments traded 42,023 shares and lost 0.06 cent to 11 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index unchanged at 173.74.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 7 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 closing with lower offers.