Trading skidded badly on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday with trading in only 54 securities, down from 58 on Tuesday, resulting in a 50 percent drop in the volume of stocks traded with the value plunging 78 percent lower than on Tuesday with market activity ending with prices of 17 advancing, 23 declining and 14 ending unchanged.
The market closed with 5,328,869 shares traded for $25,786,180, well below 10,672,736 stock units at $117,194,035 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 98,683 shares at $477,522 compared to 184,013 stocks at $2,020,587 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 151,455 stock units at $1,262,655 compared with 163,899 shares at $1,447,795 on the previous day and April with an average of 1,417,136 stocks at $6,010,754.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 2.08 million shares for 39.1 percent of the total volume, followed by JMMB 9.5% preference share with 979,748 units for 18.4 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 902,285 stocks for 16.9 percent of the volume traded.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 148.80 points to 372,744.15, the JSE Main Index shed 634.02 points to 324,416.21 and the JSE Financial Index dropped 0.17 points to 67.99. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 15 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
The JSE Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.5. 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 the market, Berger Paints sank 55 cents to $7.15 following an exchange of 1,217 shares, Caribbean Cement dipped 40 cents to $86 with 5,382 stock units passing through the market, Caribbean Producers fell 49 cents to close at $8 with investors swapping 20,797 shares. GraceKennedy dipped 50 cents to finish at $71.50 after an exchange of 29,696 units, Guardian Holdings shed $1 and ended at $344, with 927 stocks changing hands, Jamaica Broilers rose $2.47 to end at $29.98 after a transfer of 10,395 units. 
Jamaica Producers dropped $1.30 to $22.70 with traders dealing in 15,176 stocks, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 43 cents to $12.50 in an exchange of 2,819 shares, Massy Holdings declined $1.50 to close at $78 with 260 stocks clearing the market. NCB Financial skidded 45 cents and ended at $46.55 with investors trading 20,010 shares, Sagicor Group climbed 50 cents to end at $44 with 12,148 stocks crossing the exchange, Scotia Group increased 85 cents to finish at $54.85 with investors trading 74,168 units and Seprod popped 95 cents to $82 with 1,016 stock units switching owners.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% gained $1.45 in closing at $44.45 with 21 shares crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.