Trading dropped back sharply on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange at the end of market activity on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded down a hefty 91 percent with the value 53 percent lower than on Tuesday, following trading in 60 securities up from 58 on Tuesday, with prices of 18 rising, 23 declining and 19 ending unchanged, resulting in a drop in the major market indices.
The market closed with trading of 6,904,205 shares for $59,901,771 down from 73,155,105 stock units at $128,115,803 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 115,070 shares for $998,363 and well below the 1,261,295 stocks at $2,208,893 on Tuesday. Trading for the month to date averages 306,202 stock units at $1,761,824 compared to 333,249 shares at $1,869,861 on Tuesday and January with an average of 257,074 stock units at $2,582,065.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 2.53 million shares for 36.6 percent of total volume followed by JMMB Group 7.25% preference share with 598,495 stock units for 8.7 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Energy with 461,001 stocks for 6.7 percent of the volume traded.
The All Jamaican Composite Index sank 1,842.72 points to close at 380,835.63, the JSEMain Market Index dropped 1,537.34 points to close at 329,335.92 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.55 points to finish at 67.91. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 15 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 14.7. 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 day of a slow market, Caribbean Cement gained 50 cents to close at $87.50 with investors trading 16,125 stocks, JMMB Group sank 52 cents to end at $20.53 with 11,594 units passing through the market, Kingston Properties shed 47 cents in closing at $8.56 in an exchange of 57,836 shares. Kingston Wharves sank 90 cents to close at $30 with 3,023 stock units crossing the market, Lasco Manufacturing popped 52 cents and ended at $7.99 with traders dealing in 392,755 shares, 138 Student Living increased 72 cents to finish at $3.97 with 21,449 stocks clearing the market. Sagicor Group dipped 70 cents to $41.30 as investors exchanged 23,134 units, Seprod fell $3.94 to $85 with a transfer of 17,912 stock units and Stanley Motta climbed 40 cents to end at $7.40 with 4,624 shares changing hands.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% declined $3 to finish at $40 with investors trading 35 stocks, 138 Student Living preference share rose $10 and ended at $330 with 32 units switching owners, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share lost $49.99 to close at $1,050 with 56 stocks units changing hands at the end of trading and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% advanced $2.38 to $104.88 after 380 shares were traded.Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
