The stock markets on Friday closed higher in Panama, flat Costa Rica and El Salvador. The Panamanian stock market ended with its BVPSI index at 238.41 points, up 0.36 percent. The trade volume was 1.652 million U.S. dollars. In Costa Rica, which has Central America's biggest bourse, the leading BNV index finished flat at 5,504.27 points, with a trade volume of 183.386 million U.S. dollars. El Salvador's stock market closed flat with the IBES index at 204.09 points. The trade volume was 7.432 million U.S. dollars. 