Bloodletting on the Jamaica Stock Exchange

All three Jamaica Stock Exchange markets dropped on Friday, with the Junior Market even as the volume and value of stocks traded jumped compared to that of Thursday.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index dived 2,496.96 points to 336,909.06, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,694.92 points to close at 359,918.59, the JSE Main Index declined 2,072.71 points to 322,269.79, while the Junior Market Index plunged 61.50 points to close at 3,955.62 and the JSE USD Market Index dipped 3.33 points to 252.49.
The only Preference share with a notable price movement but not in the TOP10 graphs is Jamaica Public Service 7% rose $9.31 to end at $55.
At the close, investors traded 12,429,324 shares in all three markets, compared with 13,544,737 stocks on Thursday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main markets was $78.5 million, in comparison to $47.8 million on Thursday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging shares for US$3,750 from 112,148 units at US$10,192 on Thursday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.6 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.4 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.