Transjamaican grabs majority of Main Market

Transjamaican Highway, Jamaica’s first toll road operator, grabbed 59 percent of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Monday ahead of an increased interim dividend of 12.58 cents per share, up from 9.43 cents last year, announced after the market closed and providing a yield of 7 percent based on the APO price of $3.60.
Trading ended with a moderate decline in the volume of stocks changing hands with a 59 percent lower value than on Friday after an exchange of 61 securities, up from 59 on Friday, with prices of 21 rising, 24 declining and 16 ending unchanged, resulting in a fall in the market indices.
The All Jamaican Composite Index shed 2,152.53 points to end at 375,821.65, while the JSE Main Index sank 831.79 points to close at 325,127.27 and the JSE Financial Index fell 0.51 points to wrap up trading at 67.55.
The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 16 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and nine with lower offers.
The market closed with 14,777,464 shares trading for $61,524,284 down from 15,689,285 stock units at $148,621,916 on Friday.
Trading averaged 242,254 shares at $1,008,595 below the 265,920 stocks at $2,519,016 on Friday and month to date, an average of 847,703 units at $31,502,916 compared with 916,995 shares at $34,992,886 on the previous day and well above February with an average of 405,332 stock units at $1,953,730.
Transjamaican Highway was the lead trade with 8.76 million shares for 59.3 percent of total volume followed by Wigton Energy which ended with 2.31 million stocks for 15.6 percent of the day’s trade and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.56 million stock units for 10.6 percent of the day’s trade.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 15. 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 a day of reduced trading, AS Bryden declined $1 to close at $28 as investors exchanged 3,467 units, Caribbean Cement lost 85 cents to close at $84 with 2,671 stocks passing through the market, Carreras slipped 74 cents to end at $14.26 with investors swapping 336,319 shares. Eppley popped 50 cents in closing at $35.50 with 101 stock units clearing the market, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund gained $4.28 and ended at $34.88 in trading 191 shares, GraceKennedy fell 60 cents to finish at $73.10 with an exchange of 34,746 stocks. Jamaica Producers rose 84 cents and ended at $23.84 with 1,250 stock units crossing the market, Kingston Wharves dipped 50 cents to $27.50 with 997 stock units switching owners, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 48 cents to finish at $7.49 after an exchange of 2,855 shares. Massy Holdings increased $2.19 to close at $81.50 with investors trading 10 stocks, Mayberry Jamaican Equities sank 58 cents in closing at $9.42 in an exchange of 610 units, Pan Jamaica shed $1.10 to end at $51.25 with 13,491 stock units changing hands. Sagicor Real Estate Fund sank 65 cents in closing at $8 with a transfer of 537 shares, Stanley Motta skidded 55 cents to $6.40 with 977 stock units crossing the exchange and Sygnus Credit Investments dropped 85 cents and ended at $12.05 after a transfer of 14,357 units.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share rallied $23 to finish at $308 with 38 stocks crossing the market and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% advanced $2.95 to close at $100 in trading 19,647 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.