Winners outpaced the losers after trading in 61 securities, the same as for Tuesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market on Wednesday, and ending with prices of 22 advancing, 17 declining and 22 ending firm. The major Market Index suffered a major slide, led by a big fall in the price of West Indies Petroleum at the close of the market. The volume of stocks traded rose marginally, while the value jumped 44 percent compared to Tuesday.
All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 4,439.85 points to close trading at 392,257.47, while the JSE Main Index dropped 3,209.13 points to settle at 337,587.34 and the JSE Financial Index dipped 0.24 points to 63.66. At the close, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator ended with eight stocks with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
The market closed with 12,120,147 shares trading for $91,312,554 after rising from 11,727,312 stock units at $63,365,354 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 198,691 shares at $1,496,927, up from 192,251 stock units at $1,038,776 on Tuesday. Trading for the month to date, averages of 233,612 units at $1,576,946, well in alignment with 237,987 shares at $1,586,969 on the previous day and below December with an average of 395,435 stock units at $4,321,753.
Transjamaican Highway led trading with 6.27 million shares for 51.7 percent of the total volume, after trading at a record close of $5.10, followed by Lasco Manufacturing, ending with 1.78 million stocks for 14.7 percent of the day’s trade and West Indies Petroleum with 1.36 million units for 11.2 percent of the day’s volume traded.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 16.6. 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 2026.
At the close of the market, Barita Investments climbed 60 cents to $73.60 with trading of 703 shares, Caribbean Cement dropped 59 cents in closing at $106.37 after an exchange of 11,031 stock units, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund sank 49 cents to $46.51 with investors trading 297 shares. Guardian Holdings rose $14 and ended at $344 in an exchange of 202 stocks, Kingston Wharves climbed $1.41 to finish at a 52 weeks high of $37.50 with 12,742 units passing through the market, NCB Financial popped $1.05 to close at $41 with 124,805 stocks changing hands. Proven Investments rallied 86 cents to $15.86 in trading 1,869 shares, Scotia Group slipped 50 cents to close at $51.50 with 52,644 stock units clearing the market, 
Seprod sank $5.50 in closing at $78.20 after an exchange of 200,605 units. Sygnus Credit Investments increased 61 cents to $12.41 with the swapping of 1,396 stocks, West Indies Petroleum dropped $2.88 and to $9.52 with an exchange of 1,360,894 shares and Wisynco Group gained 75 cents to finish at $19.95 with 131,552 stock units crossing the market.
In the preference segment, the 138 Student Living preference share fell $1 and ended at $249 as investors exchanged 12 units and Sygnus Credit Investments 10% rose $1 to $109 after a transfer of 23 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.opp