Trading climbed appreciably on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded jumping 48 percent, with the volume rising just 11 percent over Wednesday, resulting from trading in 60 securities, up from 57 on Wednesday, with prices of 26 rising, 14 declining and 20 ending unchanged.
Trading closed with an exchange of 16,693,892 shares with a value of $197,735,173, from 14,979,388 stock units at $133,414,112 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 278,232 shares at $3,295,586, greater than the 262,796 stocks at $2,340,598 on Wednesday and for the month to date, an average of 237,113 units at $1,986,598, well aligned with 234,871 shares at $1,915,198 on the previous day and well below April with an average of 1,417,136 stock units at $6,010,754.
Sterling Investments led trading with 3.41 million shares for 20.4 percent of the total volume, followed by Transjamaican Highway, which ended with 3.21 million stocks for 19.3 percent of the day’s trade. Wisynco Group closed with 2.90 million shares for 17.3 percent of the volume traded, QWI Investments ended with 1.28 million units for 7.7 percent of the trades and Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund closed with 1.01 million units for 6.1 percent of market share.
The All Jamaican Composite Index surged 4,084.54 points to 373,127.19, the JSE Main Index jumped 3,426.04 points to end at 324,371.27 and JSE Financial Index rose 0.97 points to 67.98.
At the close of the market, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE of 13.1. The JSE Main and the 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 trading on Thursday, AS Bryden increased $1.94 to close at $29.94, with 6,751 shares changing hands, Berger Paints sank 30 cents to $7.02, with investors swapping 1,077 units, Eppley dipped $3.33 to close at $30 in an exchange of 3,875 stocks. First Rock Real Estate fell 30 cents to finish at $9.20, with 19,516 shares crossing the market, Jamaica Broilers climbed 89 cents to end at $28.89, with 7,675 units crossing the market. Margaritaville rose $1.42 in closing at $14.08 after a transfer of 489 shares, Mayberry Jamaican Equities rallied 41 cents to finish at $10, with 310,391 stock units crossing the market, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy popped $6.70 and ended at $64 in trading 7 shares. Scotia Group gained 40 cents to land at $55.90, with 25,596 stocks crossing the exchange, Seprod advanced $1.50 to close at $85 in switching ownership of 59,044 units and Sygnus Real Estate Finance sank 50 cents to end at $8.50 in trading 3,662 stock units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% popped $34.82 in closing at $2,689 in an exchange of a mere 4 shares and Sygnus Credit Investments 10% climbed $2 and ended at $103 with investors trading 1,300 stocks.Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise statedan