Big month end rally for Main & Junior market

With the closing of the month, stocks jumped on the Jamaica Stock Exchange as is the traditional practice at month end with trading ending on Friday, with the Main and Junior Market jumping sharply while the JSE USD market closed moderately lower as trading ended with the number of and value of stocks changing hands rising from the previous trading day, resulting in prices of 35 stocks rising and 24 declining.
The market indices were pushed much higher in the last two minutes of trading above attractive gains posted well ahead of the close with trading which ended with 23,455,159 shares valued at $85,644,579 in the last 13 minutes of market activity.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed 2,866.78 points to 335,794.70, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 4,067.85 points to 361,024.00, the JSE Main Index popped 2,430.29 points to cease trading at 322,397.70. The Junior Market Index surged 77.06 points to conclude trading at 3,836.50 and the JSE USD Market Index slipped 2.18 points to end at 239.35.
At the close of trading, 39,310,528 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 26,873,386 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $175.75 million, well below the $160.33 million on the previous trading day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 267,704 shares for US$11,973 compared to 110,239 units at US$24,984 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, Wigton Windfarm led trading with 11.63 million shares followed by Sagicor Real Estate Fund with 2.88 million stocks, Lasco Distributors ended with 1.82 million units, Carreras closed with 1.32 million stock units, Mayberry Group with 1.15 million shares and General Accident with 1.06 million units.
In the Junior Market, Regency Petroleum led trading with 3.44 million shares followed by Stationery and Office Supplies with 2.46 million stocks, ONE on ONE Educational with 2.19 million units and JFP Ltd with 1.68 million stock units.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share dropped $32 to close at $185 and Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share dived $90 to end at $1,110.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 21.5 on 2023-24 earnings and 13.6 times those for 2024-25 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the 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 EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Pertinent information is required to navigate numerous investment options successfully in the stock market. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The chart should be used in making rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector, 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 reported as a guide for investors to quickly assess the value of stocks based on this measure. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices.
Dividends paid or payable 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.