Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended on Wednesday, with the Main Market declining within the last 10 minutes of the close, bouncing to end the day higher, the Junior Market and the JSE USD Market both traded with solid gains from early in the day, the Junior Market moved appreciably higher within five minutes of the close to record a 85 points rally for the day as investors engineered the usual end of month dressing. At the close of trading the prices of 50 shares rose, 34 declined and 37 remained firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index increased 960.27 points to 331,274.49, the All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 1,143.50 points to 365,720.38, the JSE Main Index increased 366.95 points to end trading at 318,587.27, the Junior Market Index gained 84.86 points to close at 3,711.75, and the JSE USD Market Index gained 4.66 points to conclude trading at 252.14.
At the close of trading, 34,162,744 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down slightly from 34,303,555 units on Tuesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $122.97 million, much lower than the $166.69 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 1,404,682 shares for US$104,481 compared to 1,575,237 units at US$53,490 on Tuesday.
In Main Market activity, Wigton Energy led trading with 6.71 million stocks followed by Transjamaican Highway with 6.30 million shares and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 5.14 million units.
In Junior Market trading, ONE on ONE Educational led trading with 2.11 million stocks followed by Dolla Financial with 1.25 million shares and Derrimon Trading with 1.13 million units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% rose $3.70 to finish at $43.70, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% shed $29.99 and ended at $2,860, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share rallied $15 to $1,050.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.8 based on projected 2024-25 earnings and 20 based on the 2024-24 historical earnings. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and other more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making. The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares 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 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major time income or expenses.
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.