NCB Financial traded at a record high of $184.85 on Thursday.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange main market ended its ninth consecutive day of trading with another record close on Thursday, as investors pushed JMMB group to a record $42.50 and NCB Financial to a record high of $184.85, before they both pulled back at the close.
The JSE All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 4,510.51 points to end at a record close of 484,922.56 and the JSE Index climbed 4,099.18 points to record close of 441,656.26.
At the close market activity, on the main and US markets, the prices of 11 securities advanced, 12 declined and 12 traded firm, as a total of 35 securities traded, compared to 33 on Wednesday. Market activity ended with 18,955,666 units valued $147,418,895, in contrast to 27,861,999 units valued $644,155,189 on Wednesday.
Wigton Windfarm continues to dominate trading since listing in late May, closing with 13.9 million shares changing hands and 73 percent of total trades, followed by JMMB Group with 919,914 stock 
units and 5 percent of the day’s trades and Victoria Mutual Investments with 684,263 units for 4 percent of volume traded.
The market closed with average of 557,520 units valued at over $4,335,850, in contrast to 870,687 shares valued at $20,129,850 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 860,896 shares, with a value of $9,289,962, compared to 967,234 shares, with a value of $11,026,454 previously. May closed with average of 2,248,261 units at an average of $12,751,529 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 5 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and 2 with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Jamaica Broilers finished trading of 16,449 units with a rise of 76 cents to end at $32.51. Jamaica Producers added 99cents to close at $27, with 15,401 shares trading, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 65 cents to end at $19., with an exchange of 44,163 shares, JMMB Group climbed 39 cents and concluded trading with 919,914 shares at $40, Mayberry Jamaican Equities exchanged 27,963 shares after sliding 85 cents to close at $11.45. 
NCB Financial Group ended trading of 121,084 shares at a record high of $184.85 but fell $1 to end the day at $169, PanJam Investment fell $1.01 in trading 30,101 shares to close at $94.99. Sagicor Group lost 40 cents in trading 113,467 stock units, to end at $48, Scotia Group gained $1 in trading 105,105 units to close at $52, Seprod fell 75 cents to end at $49.20, in trading 46,911 shares and Supreme Ventures lost 50 cents and settled at $30, with 521,695 shares trading. Sygnus Credit Investments added 50 cents in traded 138,512 units in closing at $13.50.
Trading in the US securities market resulted in 21,177 units valued $2,329 changing hands. Market activity ended with Sygnus Credit Investments traded 21,177 units and closed with a loss of 1 cent at 11 US cents. The JSE USD Equities Index fell 0.06 points to close at 194.37.
The Jamaica Stock Exchange chalked up its eighth consecutive record close on Tuesday as advancing stocks out did losers almost three to one.
Mayberry Jamaican Equities exchanged 47,989 shares after rising 65 cents to close at $12.35, NCB Financial Group finished trading 22,975 shares at a record closing high of $168, after rising $1, PanJam Investment concluded trading with 2,154 shares but lost 60 cents to end at $95.50. Sagicor Group traded 299,516 units and gained 30 cents to close at $48.50, Seprod climbed $1.95 to end at $49.95, in trading 125,881 shares and Supreme Ventures gained $1 and settled at $31, with 655,299 shares trading.
PanJam Investment concluded trading with 273,876 shares and rose 50 cents to end at $96.10, Sagicor Group traded 268,818 units and declined by $1.80 to close at $48.20, Seprod gained 55 cents to end at $48, in trading 53,347 shares. Sterling Investments lost 43 cents to close at $3.22, with 200 units crossing the exchange and Supreme Ventures dropped $1.86 and settled at $30, with 655,299 shares trading.
Proven Investments rose $1 to close at $35 with an exchange of 4,770 shares, Salada Foods added $5.25 and ended trading at $35.25, with an exchange of a mere 100 stock units. Scotia Group declined by 50 cents to close at $51.50, with 21,344 shares changing hands, Seprod fell 55 cents, trading 18,546 shares to close at $47.45 and Supreme Ventures finished with a rise of 36 cents to close at $31.86, with an exchange of 59,411 units.
Kingston Wharves settled at $70, with 3,899 units trading after gaining by $1, NCB Financial Group lost $2 trading 416,899 shares to end at $161. PanJam Investment dropped $1.40 and ended at $95.50, with 18,515 units trading, Pulse Investments finished at $2.55, with 45,001 shares, Proven Investments rose 50 cents to close at $34 with an exchange of 300 shares, Sagicor Group added $1.48 and ended trading at $49.98, with an exchange of 470,884 stock units and Seprod added $2.05 in trading 123,705 shares to close at $48.
Salada Foods dropped $4.65 to $31 in trading 9,982 stock units. Scotia Group gained 60 cents to close at $52, with 94,766 shares trading, Seprod added $1.95 in trading 60,251 shares to close at $45.95 and Stanley Motta gained 30 cents and ended at $5 trading 16,52 shares.
Trading for April resulted in an average of 157,923 shares at $3,718,919, for each security traded.
trading at $48.01, with an exchange of 271,975 stock units, Salada Foods surged $5.65 to $35.65 in trading 565 stock units. Scotia Group shed $1.60 to $51.40, with 162,037 shares trading, Seprod added $1 trading 15,149 shares to close at $44, Stanley Motta fell 30 cents and ended at $4.70 trading 17,800 shares and Supreme Ventures rose 50 cents to finish at $31.50, with 103,297 units changing hands.
Sagicor Group rose 50 cents and ended trading at $48.50, with an exchange of 2,950,094 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost 50 cents trading 3,500 shares at $9.50. Salada Foods declined $2 to $30 in trading 1,000 stock units. Scotia Group climbed $2.50 to $53, with 271,656 shares trading, Seprod shed $1.30 trading 315,880 shares to close at $43, Stanley Motta lost 30 cents and ended at $5 trading 30,000 shares and Supreme Ventures lost 75 cents to finish at $31, with 44,425 units changing hands.
The bulk of investors who would be buying the vast quantity are more professional than not and are versed on the valuation levels of stocks. Accordingly, they are unlikely to be buying a stock that has doubtful expansion credentials at an inflated value. The most popular valuation tool, the PE ratio does not support a price much higher than $1.20, with EPS of 6 cents per share. A price of $1.20 equates to a relatively high PE ratio of 20. Only a few stocks are valued close to this multiple and many of them have prospects for profits to grow. Wigton has no immediate prospects for growth in earnings, pricing it at 20 times EPS would, therefore, be unwise. The market will speak but the heavy selling on Friday is more in line with the thinking that the top is not far off. Investors who buy shares above the accepted market norm will likely get crushed unless they have a long term investment horizon on their minds. PE ratios are there to give a sense of appropriate values. When investors try to break away from where the bulk of investments funds place the value of a stock at, they usually end up regretting the move.