The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market ended on Thursday, with modest gains following a 37 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded as 59 percent less money entered the market compared to Wednesday, with 56 securities trading compared to 52 on Wednesday, resulting in prices of 15 stocks rising, 23 declining and 18 unchanged.
Investors traded 6,862,645 shares for $82,023,834 down from 10,894,043 units at $200,361,949 on Wednesday. Trading averages 122,547 units at $1,464,711, versus 209,501 shares at $3,853,114 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 203,473 units at $2,825,479, compared to 208,980 units at $2,918,070 on the previous day. August closed with an average of 738,534 units at $5,975,613.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 1.78 million shares for 25.9 percent of total volume followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.14 million units for 16.6 percent of the day’s trade and Wigton Windfarm with 622,424 units for 9.1 percent market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 59.03 points to 404,853.42, the JSE Main Index rallied 327.78 points to 355,813.87 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.07 points to settle at 84.26.
The PE Ratio, a formula to ascertain appropriate stock values, averages 13.5 for the Main Market. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios incorporate earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending between November and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows ten stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Barita Investments advanced $3 to $91 in an exchange of 348,765 shares, Caribbean Cement dropped $3 to end at $59.30 after trading 57,589 stock units, Caribbean Producers fell 55 cents to $13.25 with the swapping of 88,466 stocks. Eppley rose $1.48 in closing at $40.50, with 69 units crossing the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained $1.58 to close at $43.98 with investors transferring 2,537 stock units, Jamaica Broilers dipped $1.10 to close at $28.20 after an exchange of 8,179 units. Jamaica Stock Exchange declined 51 cents to end at $16.49, with 58,696 shares crossing the market, Massy Holdings fell $1.01 to $85 with a transfer of 808 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities shed $2.56 in ending at $10 after exchanging 4,400 units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy increased $16 in closing at $84 with a mere two stock units traded, NCB Financial dipped $1 to $89 in trading 123,829 shares, Proven Investments declined 50 cents in closing at $30.01 after exchanging 35,422 stocks. 
Sagicor Group dropped 49 cents to $50.01 after trading 26,985 units, Scotia Group lost $1 to close at $33.50 after 23,423 stock units changed hands and Seprod shed $3 to end at $65, with 52,792 stocks crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share popped 67 cents to end at $7.33 as investors exchanged 1,099 shares and 138 Student Living preference share fell $1.75 to $50, with 11 stocks clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, Berger Paints climbed 70 cents in closing at $11 after a transfer of 2,632 shares, Caribbean Cement gained $3 in ending at $62.30 with the swapping of 328,555 units, Caribbean Producers rose 57 cents to close at $13.80 with an exchange of 38,509 stocks. Carreras rallied 50 cents to $8.98, with 195,813 stock units clearing the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund advanced $3.40 to end at $42.40 changing hands 1,598 shares, First Rock Real Estate shed 75 cents to end at $11.50 in an exchange of 500 stock units. Jamaica Broilers increased 80 cents to $29.30 after exchanging 566,400 stocks, Jamaica Producers dipped $1.94 to $19.02 after exchanging 1,584 units, Jamaica Stock Exchange popped 49 cents to $17, with 20,556 shares crossing the market. JMMB Group fell 60 cents to close at $39.50 trading 468,760 stocks, Kingston Wharves advanced $4 in closing at $39 in switching ownership of 594 stock units, Massy Holdings lost $3.94 to $86.01 after trading 260 units. Mayberry Jamaican Equities increased 66 cents to close at $12.56, with 100,835 shares crossing the market, 138 Student Living rose 77 cents to end at $6.29 with an exchange if seven stock units, 
Portland JSX dropped 91 cents in ending at $9 as investors exchanged 2,500 stocks. Sagicor Group declined 50 cents to end at $50.50 in exchanging 141,695 units, Scotia Group dipped 50 cents to $34.50 while exchanging 7,460 units, Seprod popped $6 to $68 in trading 9,260 stocks and Supreme Ventures declined 50 cents in closing at $28.50 after trading 32,152 shares.
Overall, 122,203 shares traded for US$20,869, up from 48,397 units at US$6,844 on Tuesday.
At the close, First Rock Real Estate USD share shed 0.99 of one cent to close at 4.01 US cents after trading 12,900 shares, Proven Investments rallied 0.04 of a cent in ending at 20.55 US cents after the trading of 100,064 units, Sygnus Credit Investments USD share ended at 10 US cents trading 7,239 stocks and Transjamaican Highway gained 0.08 of a cent to 0.9 of one US cent, with 2,000 stock units crossing the exchange.
A total of 13,347,493 shares were exchanged for $482,583,082 up from 8,448,292 units at $133,833,060 on Monday. Trading averages 238,348 units at $8,617,555, versus 150,862 shares at $2,389,876 on Monday and month to date, an average of 208,945 units at $2,855,006 compared to 206,642 units at $2,403,674 on the previous trading day. August closed with an average of 738,534 units at $5,975,613.
At the close, Barita Investments advanced 67 cents to $87.65 and closed with 2,563,691 shares being traded, Berger Paints shed $1.02 in closing at $10.30 while exchanging 1,044 stock units, Caribbean Producers lost 44 cents after ending at $13.23, with 16,741 stocks changing hands. Carreras dropped 52 cents to $8.48 after 44,622 units crossed the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund fell $3 to close at $39, with an exchange of 12,993 units, Jamaica Producers popped 46 cents to end at $20.96 in trading 7,127 shares. Kingston Wharves declined $2.50 to $35 after 37,915 stocks crossed the exchange, Massy Holdings climbed $2.95 to $89.95 after trading 1,703,213 stock units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dipped $16 to close at $68, with 44 stock units clearing the market. Palace Amusement increased $5 in closing at $850 after exchanging 91 units, PanJam Investment declined $1 to $58 with the swapping of 1,045,185 shares, Sagicor Group dropped $1.30 to end at $51 in exchanging 173,099 stocks. Seprod shed $7.50 to $62 with a transfer of 28,262 shares and Supreme Ventures lost 50 cents in closing at $29 after exchanging 45,951 stock units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share fell $1.18 to $6.66 after a transfer of 323 stocks. Eppley 7.75% preference share gained $1 to close at $21 in an exchange of 59 units, 138 Student Living s preference share dipped $11.21 to $63.54 as investors exchanged 600 stock units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share dipped 50 cents in closing at $149.50 with investors transferring 130 units.
Overall, 48,397 shares were traded for US$6,844 compared to 223,078 units at US$13,623 on Monday.
At the close, First Rock Real Estate USD share ended at 5 US cents after exchanging 4,089 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy remained at US$1 with just two stock units traded, Productive Business Solutions remained at US$1.3225 after a transfer of 2,002 stock units and Sygnus Credit Investments USD share ended at 10 US cents after exchanging 42,300 units.
Overall, 223,078 shares were traded for US$13,623 compared to 1,269,887 units at US$37,144 on Friday. Trading averaged 24,786 units at US$1,514, down from 141,099 shares at US$4,127 on Friday, with a month to date average of 56,792 shares at US$4,853 versus 59,673 units at US$5,153 on the previous trading day. August ended with an average of 53,206 units for US$7,288.
First Rock Real Estate USD share increased 0.1 of a cent to close at 5 US cents as investors exchanged 175,180 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy remained at US$1 trading one stock, Productive Business Solutions ended at US$1.3225 in an exchange of 171 units. Proven Investments lost 1.49 cents to end at 20.51 US cents after trading 3,000 stock units, Sterling Investments advanced 0.01 of a cent to 2.1 US cents, with 8,350 stocks crossing the market, Sygnus Credit Investments USD share dipped 1 cent to close at 10 US cents in switching ownership of 33,991 units. Sygnus Real Estate Finance USD share rose 1.72 cents in ending at 12.38 US cents in trading 786 stock units and Transjamaican Highway declined 0.08 of a cent to 0.82 of one US cent with a transfer of 1,593 shares.
A total of 8,448,292 shares were traded for $133,833,060 compared to 7,640,097 units at $172,839,636 on Friday.
At the close, Barita Investments rose 58 cents to $86.98, trading 712,307 shares, Berger Paints climbed 79 cents to $11.32 in switching ownership of 269,675 units, Eppley dropped $1.49 to $39.01 in an exchange of 700 stock units. Jamaica Broilers fell $1.50 to $28.50 after transferring 34,709 stocks, Jamaica Producers advanced $1 to $20.50, with 6,958 units crossing the exchange, Jamaica Stock Exchange popped 56 cents in closing at $16.50 after trading 14,324 shares. JMMB Group shed $1.39 to close at $40.11 trading 197,333 stock units, Mayberry Investments rallied 45 cents to $8 in exchanging 2,877 stocks, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy increased by 50 cents to $84 with investors transferring 148 units. NCB Financial gained $1.19 to $89.70 in exchanging 96,142 shares, PanJam Investment rose 70 cents to $59 after a transfer of 30,000 stocks, Proven Investments declined $1.96 to close at $30.02 with an exchange of 8,218 stock units. Sagicor Group lost $1.21 in closing at $52.30 with the swapping of 9,259 units, Salada Foods popped 58 cents to end at $4.68 while exchanging 28,857 shares, Seprod dipped 40 cents to $69.50 after 389 stocks crossed the market and Supreme Ventures rallied $2 to $29.50 and closed after 44,852 stock units changed hands.
In the preference segment, Eppley 5% preference share lost $3Sharon ending at $20.31, with two shares clearing the market,Jamaica Public Service 9.5% dropped $350to $2650 after exchanging 6,511 stock units. JMMB Group 7% preference share increased 55 cents to end at $2.50 crossing the market 19,040 stocks. Investors continue to push two preference shares to unrealistic values that defile logic, with 138 Student Living preference share advancing $9.75 to close at a record high of $74.75 after trading 78 units and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share gaining $5 to $150 as investors exchanged six stocks.
At the close, Caribbean Cement lost $3.30 in closing at $59.10 after exchanging 2,724 shares, Eppley rose $1.49 to close at $40.50, with 561 stock units crossing the market, GraceKennedy declined 50 cents to $93, with an exchange of 20,390 stocks. Guardian Holdings dipped $4 to $495 in exchanging 4,371 units, Jamaica Broilers climbed $1.50 to $30 as investors traded 112,061 shares, Jamaica Producers gained 45 cents to end at $19.50 in switching ownership of 3,198 stock units. Jamaica Stock Exchange shed 54 cents to close at $15.94 while exchanging 20,184 units, Massy Holdings dropped $3 in closing at $87, with 8,259 stocks changing hands, Mayberry Jamaican Equities fell $1 to $12 with a transfer of 6,110 shares. NCB Financial fell 49 cents to $88.51, with 80,705 units changing hands, Palace Amusement rallied $114.98 to $845 with investors transferring four stocks, PanJam Investment dipped 70 cents to close at $58.30, with 1,020,796 stock units clearing the market. Proven Investments popped 43 cents to end at $31.98 after a transfer of 24,698 shares, Sagicor Group increased 51 cents in ending at $53.51 after trading 1,856 stock units, Scotia Group advanced 50 cents in closing at $35, with 169,077 units crossing the market.
Seprod rose 88 cents in ending at $69.90 after an exchange of 66,269 stocks and Supreme Ventures shed 51 cents to close at $27.50 in trading 89,674 stocks.
Overall, 1,269,887 shares were traded for US$37,144 compared to 182,299 units at US$15,525 on Thursday.
Proven Investments ended at 22 US cents, with 49,000 units changing. Sterling Investments ended at 2.09 US cents, with 536 stocks crossing the exchange, Sygnus Credit Investments J$ share climbed 1.79 cents to end at 14.99 US cents after exchanging 150 stocks, Sygnus Credit Investments USD share declined 0.2 of a cent to 11 US cents while exchanging 76,230 units and Transjamaican Highway advanced 0.04 of a cent to 0.9 of none US cent after a transfer of 1,132,310 stock units.
Overall, 182,299 shares were traded for US$15,525, down from 653,653 units at US$18,774 on Wednesday.
Productive Business Solutions ended at US$1.3225 in an exchange of two stock units. Proven Investments climbed 1.5 cents to close at 22 US cents after exchanging 15,521 stocks, Sterling Investments remained at 2.09 US cents after just three shares crossed the market, Sygnus Credit Investments J$ share increased 1.2 cents to end at 13.2 US cents with an exchange of 800 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments USD share declined 1.79 cents to close at 11.2 US cents in exchanging 11,808 stock units.