The value of stocks traded jumped 25 percent compared to Wednesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday, as the volume declined modestly. Investors followed an exchange of 65 securities, up from 59 on Wednesday, following the closure of the market on Independence Day on Thursday and ended with prices of 19 rising, 33 declining and 13 ending unchanged.
The market closed after an exchange of 24,335,595 shares for $266,251,702 after sliding from 24,918,385 stock units at $213,647,357 on Wednesday.
Trading ended with an average of 374,394 shares with a value of $4,096,180 compared with 422,346 stocks for $3,621,142 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 371,023 units at $4,608,115 compared with 369,799 shares for an average of $4,794,013 on the previous day with an average of 294,201 stock units at $3,175,664 for July
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 17.63 million shares for 72.5 percent of total volume, followed by Wigton Energy with 1.53 million stocks for 6.3 percent of the day’s trade and Lasco Distributors with 1.10 million stock units for 4.5 percent of the total number of stocks traded.
The All Jamaican Composite Index declined 2,360.21 points to 446,894.14, the JSE Main Index fell 2,338.95 points to finish at 374,380.23 and the JSE Financial Index skidded 0.27 points to 69.77. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.6.
ICInsider.com compiles the JSE Main and the USD Market PE ratios based on last traded prices and earnings forecasts for companies with the financial year ending around August 2026.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments fell by 40 cents and closed at a 52 weeks low of $65.10 with an exchange of 26,023 stocks, Caribbean Cement shed $1.64 to $114.36 with 7,101 units crossing the market, Carreras declined 91 cents to end at $35 after trading of 331,899 stock units, while Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained $4.79 to close at $43.99 with 1,356 stock units changing hands, Guardian Holdings lost $10 to finish at $350 with investors dealing in 4,881 shares, Jamaica Broilers dipped 40 cents to $13.50 with 295,118 units crossing the market. Jamaica Producers popped 61 cents to $21.01 with a transfer of 9,848 stocks, JMMB Group dropped 60 cents in closing at $14 with 266,622 stock units clearing the market, Kingston Properties skidded $1.75 to $9.75 in an exchange of 178 shares. Massy Holdings slipped 50 cents and ended at $72.50 with investors trading 19,211 units, Mayberry Group lost 75 cents to finish at $5.13 after a transfer of 3,678 stocks, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dipped 50 cents to $28.50 with just 2 stock units passing through the market.
Proven Investments fell 56 cents to $8.78 in an exchange of 67,647 shares, Seprod increased $2.93 to settle at $75.49 after trading of 3,911 stocks, Sygnus Real Estate Finance climbed 40 cents in closing at $7.80 with 27,824 units crossing the exchange and Transjamaican Highway pulled back from its recent fabulous ride after the price skidded by 70 cents to $12 with investors swapping 17,633,192 stock units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.75% preference share rose $1.96 to finish at $19.21 after an exchange of 47 shares, Jamaica Public Service 7% dropped $6.16 and ended at $31.79 with a transfer of 434 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments 10% rallied 55 cents to $113.55 after an exchange of 1,000 units.Prices of securities trading are those of the last transaction.
The market closed with an exchange of 1,615,358 shares for US$116,966 after surging from 764,110 stock units at US$58,570 on Wednesday.
The market closed with an exchange of 764,110 shares for US$58,570 compared to 769,895 stock units at US$61,096 on Tuesday.
The market closed following an exchange of 24,918,385 shares for $213,647,357 compared with 18,467,471 stocks with a value of $241,065,021 on Tuesday.
At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 18 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Sagicor Real Estate Fund slipped $2.50 and ended at $6.50, with 38,255 shares changing hands. Scotia Group skidded 44 cents and ended at $57.06 after an exchange of 230,489 stock units, Transjamaican Highway increased $1.42 to close at a record high of $12.70 after trading of 11,057,816 stock units and West Indies Petroleum lost $1.29 to end at $8.60, with 11,336 stock units crossing the market.
The healthy increase is fueled by West Indies Petroleum a solid outperforming stock, well above others, after rising 598 percent, but lower than the much higher level of $14 on January 14 when it peaked at an uncanny high. The price has since cooled but still excessively high, with a PE ratio of 178.
The biggest losers include movie house, Palace Amusement Company with a decline of 60 percent, followed by MPC Caribbean Energy, down 38 percent while the investment house, Proven Investments, ended with a loss of 35 percent, Portland PJX lost 34 percent followed by a Caribbean Producers with a fall of 30 percent.
The market closed with an exchange of 769,895 shares for US$61,096 after tumbling from 5,256,613 stock units at US$348,331 on Monday.
The market closed with trading of 18,467,471 shares with valued at $241,065,021, in comparison with 22,808,177 stocks at $403,415,861 on Monday.
The Main Market ended trading with the average PE Ratio at 15.4. ICInsider.com compiles the JSE Main and the USD Market PE ratios based on last traded prices and forecasted earnings that for companies with the financial year ending around August 2026.
Kingston Wharves increased 76 cents to end at $34 with investors trading 24,830 units, Pan Jamaica declined $1.51 to close at $43.49 after an exchange of 8,252 stocks. Proven Investments climbed $1.09 to $9.90 in trading 18,689 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rallied 50 cents and ended at $9 with a transfer of 597 stocks, Scotia Group increased 49 cents to close at $57.50 after trading of 34,390 units. Seprod dipped $1.50 in closing at $72.50 in an exchange of 16,979 stock units and Sygnus Real Estate Finance fell $2.11 to end at $7.39 with 2,104 shares crossing the market.
The market closed after trading of 22,808,177 shares with a value of $403,415,861, down from trading of 41,753,131 stock units valued at $323,847,100 on Friday.
At the close of trading, AS Bryden dropped $2 to end at $25 with 941 units passing through the market, Barita Investments fell 40 cents to $66.90 following trading in 26,755 stocks, Berger Paints skidded 50 cents and ended at $5 as investors traded 94,609 shares. Carreras rallied $1.01 in closing at $36.50 after trading of 193,497 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund popped $1.05 to finish at $43.99 in the trading of 83 shares, General Accident fell 75 cents to close at $8.25 with investors trading 2,987 stock units. GraceKennedy gained 55 cents to end at $76.25 after an exchange of 24,458 units, Guardian Holdings dipped $5 to end at $365 with investors swapping 8,125 stocks, Jamaica Producers rose 98 cents in closing at $21.98 in switching ownership of 452 units. Kingston Properties slipped 55 cents to $10.45 with investors dealing in 591 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing declined 52 cents and ended at $7.18 with 15,425 shares crossing the market, Pan Jamaica shed 95 cents to finish at $45 with an exchange of 11,935 stock units. Quantas Advantage declined 50 cents and ended at $15.50 with 39,274 shares clearing the market, Sagicor Real Estate Fund shed 50 cents to close at $8.50 after an exchange of 3,436 stock units,
Scotia Group fell 49 cents to end at $57.01 with 21,179 stock units changing hands. Seprod dropped by $1 in closing at $74 after an exchange of 38,676 stocks, Transjamaican Highway advanced 56 cents to close at $10.95 with 6,535,147 shares crossing the market and the West Indies Petroleum climbed 76 cents to finish at $9.90 after a transfer of 11,594 stocks.
Trading ended with an average of 525,661 shares at US$34,833, up from 128,233 stocks at US$8,586 on Friday, compared with July, with an average of 132,012 units for US$49,788.
The US Denominated Equities Index shed 12.51 points to settle at 286.07. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
The PE Ratio, one of the most used measures to determine appropriate stock values, averages 15.4. ICInsider.com compiles the earnings per share and the PE used in this report. The PE ratio is derived by dividing the last traded price of a stock by the earnings per share for the financial year ending around August 2026.
At the close of trading, AS Bryden remained at 16.9 US cents with investors dealing in 1,337 units, Productive Business Solutions dropped 12.75 cents and ended at 72.25 US cents with 14 stocks changing hands, Proven Investments lost 0.47 of a cent to 5.51 US cents with a transfer of 408,402 shares.