Winners beat out losers five to two to one on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday, with prices of 26 stocks advancing, 15 declining and 21 ending unchanged, but that did not prevent slippage in the JSE Main Index. Trading closed with the volume of stocks traded slipping just 6 percent as the value sank 35 percent lower compared to Tuesday, following trading in 62 securities compared with 63 on Tuesday.
The market closed with 13,423,567 shares trading for $55,863,861, down from 14,336,129 stock units at $85,336,664 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 216,509 shares at $901,030, after falling from 227,558 stock units at $1,354,550 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 227,312 stock units at $1,417,255, that is well aligned with 228,161 shares at $1,457,820 on the previous day, but less than in December with an average of 395,435 stock units at $4,321,753.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 4.37 million shares for 32.5 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Energy, ending with 4.02 million stocks for 30 percent of the day’s trade, Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund closed with 2.12 million stock units for 15.8 percent of the volume traded and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.10 million shares for 8.2 percent of market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rose 279.73 points to settle at 382,566.98, the JSE Main Index declined 196.45 points to wrap up trading at 329,728.49 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.22 points to finish at 63.36. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator concluded trading with nine stock units ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
The Main Market concluded trading with an average PE Ratio of 16.2. The JSE Main and the 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 2026.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments sank $2.20 in closing at $71 with an exchange of 5,474 shares, Caribbean Cement climbed 90 cents to $105.90 after the swapping of 14,551 units, Guardian Holdings rose $4 to end at $344 in an exchange of 770 shares. Mayberry Jamaican Equities dipped $1.88 to close at $6.55, following trading of 51,714 stock units, NCB Financial advanced $1.22 and ended at $41.97 with a transfer of 15,350 stocks, 
Pan Jamaica popped $3.35 to finish at $50.30 after an exchange of 727 units. Sagicor Group sank $1.05 and ended at $40.70 with investors swapping 42,973 shares and Sygnus Real Estate Finance skidded 45 cents to $11.55 with 969 stock units passing through the market.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% rallied $6.93 to close at $43.93 as investors exchanged 60 stocks. Jamaica Public Service 9.5% increased $8 to finish at $2,598 with a mere two shares clearing the market, the 138 Student Living preference share lost $36 in closing at $194 in an exchange of 72 stock units and Productive Business Solutions 10.5% shed $13 to end at $1,135 with traders dealing in 23 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.