Stocks ended with solid gains that lifted the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday, after a 25 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded carrying a 31 percent greater value than Tuesday, with trading in 61 securities up from 59 on Tuesday, with prices of 21 rising, 19 declining and 21 ending unchanged.
The market closed with trading of 20,258,733 shares at $175,672,244 up from 16,260,410 stock units at $133,744,634 on Tuesday. Trading ended with an average of 332,110 shares at $2,879,873 well above 275,600 stocks at $2,266,858 on Tuesday and for the month to date, an average of 237,126 units at $1,831,129 compared with 232,083 shares for $1,775,451 previously and December with an average of 967,720 stock units at $18,390,902.
JMMB Group 7.25% preference share due 2024 led trading with 4.0 million shares for 19.7 percent of total volume followed by Transjamaican Highway which ended with 3.84 million stocks for 18.9 percent of the day’s trade, Wigton Energy closed with 2.16 million stocks for 10.7 percent of the volume traded, Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.93 million units for 9.5 percent of the market share, Radio Jamaica ended with 1.43 million stocks for 7.1 percent of the volume traded and Carreras with 1.26 million units for 6.2 percent of shares traded.
The All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 834.58 points to 384,339.46, the JSE Main Index rose 1,088.61 points to close trading at 332,660.43 and the JSE Financial Index advanced 0.89 points to 68.92. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 16 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.4. 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 the market, Carreras sank 40 cents to end at $14 with investors trading 1,264,445 stocks, Guardian Holdings increased $1 in closing at $302 with 167 stock units changing hands, Jamaica Broilers skidded 50 cents to $38 with traders dealing in 160,105 shares. Jamaica Producers climbed $1 and ended at $25 after a transfer of 180,530 stock units, JMMB Group rose 65 cents to close at $21.25 with investors swapping 203,824 shares, Kingston Properties fell 37 cents to finish at $9.18 with a transfer of 446,311 stock units. Kingston Wharves gained 78 cents and ended at $32.50 with 6,001 stocks crossing the market, Lasco Manufacturing declined 74 cents to $7.26 with investors trading 54,898 units, Mayberry Group popped 47 cents to finish at $7.99 after an exchange of just one share. Mayberry Jamaican Equities rallied 62 cents to close at $9.99 in trading 751 stock units, Sagicor Group advanced $1 to end at $40 with 24,563 stocks crossing the exchange, Stanley Motta shed 96 cents in closing at $6.74 with investors dealing in 899 stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments dropped 50 cents to $12 after 815,769 shares passed through the market.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% sank $1.95 and ended at $42 as investors exchanged 14 units, 138 Student Living preference share popped $49.50 to finish at $287.50 and closed with an exchange of 37 stocks. Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share gained $44.99 to close at $1,099.99 after an exchange of just two stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% rose $2.20 in closing at $103.50 with 1,098 shares clearing the market.Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
