Trading surged on Tuesday, with the volume of stocks traded jumping steeply by 224 percent and the value climbing by 65 percent compared to Monday, on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market. Investors were involved in trading 58 securities, down from 63 on Monday and ended with prices of 25 rising, 26 declining and seven ending unchanged after JMMB Group traded at a 52 weeks high and Wigton Energy closed at a 52 weeks low.
The market closed with 16,506,315 shares trading for $117,276,115, after an increase from 5,092,750 stocks at $71,147,987 on Monday.
Trading averaged 284,592 shares at $2,022,002, well above 80,837 stocks at $1,129,333 on Monday. Trading month to date ended at an average of 273,164 stock units at $2,605,486 in alignment with the average of 272,408 shares worth $2,644,119 on the Monday, with an average of 895,289 stock units at $10,824,938 in August.
Wigton Energy led trading with 6.93 million shares for 42 percent of total volume, followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 3.49 million stocks for 21.1 percent of the day’s trade and Transjamaican Highway with 2.80 million units for 17 percent of all trades.
The All Jamaican Composite Index rose 2a mere 0.28 points to 438,193.68, the JSE Main Index lost 945.31 points to close at 368,829.96 and the JSE Financial Index rallied 0.11 points to 70.55. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 15.5. ICInsider.com compiles the JSE Main Market PE ratios that are derived by dividing the last traded stock price by earnings per share for companies with the fiscal year ending around August 2027.
At the close of trading, AS Bryden dropped by $2.25 to $22.20 with investors dealing in 6,433 shares, Carreras climbed $1.47 to close at $29.47 in switching ownership of 176,056 units, Eppley lost $1 and ended at $30 with investors trading 8,583 shares. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund popped $2 to end at $42, with an exchange of 14,861 stocks, First Rock Real Estate gained $1.99 to close at $6.24 with 1,615 shares crossing the market, General Accident rose 64 cents to finish at $8.74 after a transfer of 44 units. GraceKennedy shed 40 cents to $79.10 as investors exchanged 17,356 stocks, Guardian Holdings rallied $13.93 to close at $377.93 after trading of 78 stock units, Kingston Properties increased $1.31 to end at $11.94 in an exchange of 642 shares. Kingston Wharves dropped 79 cents to close at $33.15 with investors trading 13,796 units, Massy Holdings fell 50 cents and ended at $73.50 following an exchange of 61,671 stocks, NCB Financial advanced $1.77 to $68.90 in trading 458,625 stock units. 
Pan Jamaica skidded $1.95 to $42.15 after an exchange of 91,229 shares, Scotia Group declined 41 cents to finish at $58.60 with 5,723 stock units crossing the market, Seprod slipped $2.46 and ended at $71.50 with 5,953 shares changing hands and Sygnus Real Estate Finance gained $1.06 and ended at $8.06 with investors dealing in 667 shares.
In the preference share segment, Sygnus Credit Investments 10% fell $10.99 to close at $103 with investors swapping 2,901 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% rallied $10 to end at $105 with 3,200 shares clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those of the last transaction.by