West Indian Petroleum jumped $1.83, contributing most to the Main Market gain on Friday, with NCB Financial, rallying $2.25 and Carreras rising 9 cents, the three main contributors to the rally on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Friday. Trading closed with the volume of stocks rising by 21 percent and the value of trades jumping 138 percent, compared to Thursday, primarily with increased trading in NCB shares, valued at $125 million. Trading ended with an exchange of 58 securities, against o 59 on Thursday. ending with prices of 18 rising, 25 declining and 15 ending unchanged.
The All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 6,042.93 points to 390,428.71, the JSE Main Index rallied a solid 4,083.28 points to conclude trading at 335,680.23 and the JSE Financial Index skidded 0.42 points to 63.23.
At the close of the market, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 13 stock units with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
The market closed with 22,608,191 shares trading for $239,014,176, after rising from 18,732,577 stock units at $100,569,406 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 389,796 shares at $4,120,934 in, climbing from 317,501 stock units at $1,704,566 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 242,545 units at $1,596,764, up from 233,160 shares at $1,435,883 on the previous day and December with an average of 395,435 stock units at $4,321,753.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 14.37 million shares for 63.6 percent of total volume, followed by NCB Financial, ending with 2.97 million stocks for 13.1 percent of the day’s trade, Wigton Energy closed with 2.74 million stock units for 12.1 percent of the volume traded and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.09 million shares for 4.8 percent of market share.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 18. 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 fiscal year ending around August 2026.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments rose 37 cents to end at $71.90, with trading of 10,819 shares, Berger Paints lost 51 cents to $5.60 in an exchange of 65 stock units, Caribbean Producers dropped 48 cents to end at $6.50, with traders dealing in a mere 4,867 shares. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund shed 50 cents in closing at $46.50 after an exchange of 1,548 units, GraceKennedy advanced 95 cents and ended at $71.95 with investors swapping 22,253 stocks, Guardian Holdings popped $4.50 to finish at $344.50 with an exchange of 19,087 units. Margaritaville gained $1.26 and ended at $13.93 with 364 stocks passing through the market, NCB Financial rallied $2.25 to $43.95 with 2,971,887 shares crossing the exchange,
138 Student Living sank 46 cents to close at $3.03 with investors trading 5,025 stock units. Sagicor Group skidded $1.01 to end at $40.50 in an exchange of 5,720 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund sank 49 cents in closing at $7.50 with 27,997 stocks clearing the market, West Indies Petroleum jumped $1.65 to $10 after the trading of 110,713 units and Wisynco Group climbed 73 cents to $20.95 with 107,264 stock units changing hands.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% declined 93 cents to end at $43 with investors dealing in just 2 shares, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% fell $13 in closing at $1,120 closed at 82 stocks and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% popped $1.25 to finish at $100 with 102 units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.