Caribbean Producers had 30.4 percent of its float changing ownership on the Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday as AS Byrden and Sons snapped up 333.4 million shares putting them in control of 75.3 percent of the company pushing trading in the market up by 2,359 percent to 360,771,729 shares with the value surging 1,540 percent to $2,997,444,792 compared with just 14,673,394 stock units at $182,739,456 on Thursday, with trading in 61 securities up from 56 on Thursday, with prices of 25 rising, 22 declining and 14 ending unchanged.

Trading averaged 5,914,291 shares for $49,138,439 up from 262,025 stocks at $3,263,205 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 1,480,131 stocks for $11,669,103 compared with 343,645 shares at $2,065,618 on the previous day and November ending with an average of 286,669 stocks at $2,555,172.
Caribbean Producers the leading stock traded 334.34 million shares for 92.7 percent of the total volume followed by Wigton Energy with 15.03 million stocks for 4.2 percent of the day’s trade, Transjamaican Highway chipped in with 3.15 million units for 0.9 percent market share, Caribbean Cement ended with 1.28 million stock units for 0.4 percent of the market trade, Wisynco Group accounted for 1.15 million shares for 0.3 percent of traded stocks and Kingston Wharves with 1.10 million units for 0.3 percent of total volume.
The All Jamaican Composite Index slipped 406.94 points to end the day at 367,406.71, the JSE Main Index sank 305.65 points to finish at 319,783.16 and the JSE Financial Index fell 0.21 points to finish at 64.57. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.5. 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, Barita Investments lost 50 cents and ended at $73.50 as investors exchanged 28,738 stock units, Berger Paints rose 70 cents to $7.73 with 1,414 shares crossing the market, Caribbean Cement gained $3.45 to finish at a 52 weeks’ high of $80 after an exchange of 1,284,008 stocks. GraceKennedy sank 49 cents to end at $77 with traders dealing in 317,559 units, Guardian Holdings declined $2 to $313 with 6,326 shares crossing the market, Jamaica Broilers fell 49 cents to close at $37 with investors dealing in 301,054 stock units, ahead of half year results with the profit dipping 13.5 percent in the latest quarter with taxation jumping 31 percent, with profit down 12.7 percent for the half year. Jamaica Stock Exchange popped $1.14 to $13.48 with 35,424 stocks switching owners,  Kingston Wharves shed 95 cents to close at $31 after a transfer of 1,102,481 units, Scotia Group increased $1.25 to finish at $47.75 with investors ending with trading in 146,814 shares, ahead of full year results next week and with precious limited supply of stocks on offer at the close. Stanley Motta dropped 42 cents and ended at $6.50 in an exchange of 4,700 stock units and Wisynco Group sank 80 cents to end at $21 trading 1,153,869 units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% climbed $1 to close at $44.50 with an exchange of 100 stock units. Jamaica Public Service 9.5% rallied $55 to $2,755 with just a 1 share traded, 138 Student Living preference share skidded $31.86 to end at $254.19 with investors swapping a mere 6 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% slipped 99 cents to close at $104 with a paltry 4 units clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.