Trading jumped on Thursday in closing out July on a positive note on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with a rise in the volume of stocks exchanged, with a lower value than the big trade on Wednesday, resulting in all the major market indices rising. At the end of trading, the prices of a large number, 68 shares, rose, 17 declined and 23 remained firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index rose 1,778.03 points to finish at 320,253.81, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed by 2,392.35 points to 355,541.42, the JSE Main Index advanced 1,214.05 points to conclude trading at 308,603.07, the Junior Market Index rose a solid 85.58 points to end at 3,511.03 and the JSE USD Market Index rose 4.59 points to 210.24.
At the close of trading, 82,876,627 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from 76,259,286 units on Wednesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $381.28 million, down from $1.08 billion on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 4,999,088 shares for US$155,356 compared to 66,736 units at US$8,755 on Wednesday.
In Main Market activity, Wigton Energy led with 27.27 million shares, followed by Carreras with 11.22 million stocks and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 4.65 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Regency Petroleum led with 6.64 million shares, followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 6.45 million shares and Future Energy with 3.43 million units.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share rose $22.25 to close at $240 and Sygnus Credit Investments 10% rallied $1.67 to $108.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular tool used to value stocks, ended at 13.6 based on 2025-26 earnings and 16.3 based on 2024-25 historical earnings.
The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the other detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making. The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons within a sector and the overall market. The earnings per share (EPS) and PE ratios are based on 2024 and 2025 actual or projected earnings, excluding any major one time income or expense.
Pertinent information is required to navigate numerous investment options successfully in the stock market. The chart should be used in making rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the sector average, not going too far from it unless there are compelling reasons to do so. This approach helps to remove emotions from investment decisions and place them on fundamentals, while at the same time not being too far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy when the price of a stock is close to the average will find that they are not inclined to overpay for a stock. 
The net asset value of each company is incorporated into the chart. Investors can use this measure in assessing stock values. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices. Dividends that are paid or are due to be paid and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts, along with the closing volume of the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.