Bulls prowling around the Jamaica Stock Exchange

The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange continued its bullish run and gained over 5,000 points in trading on Tuesday as the Junior Market JSE USD market popped moderately higher as trading ended with the number of stocks changing hands along with the value surging sharply over the previous trading day, resulting in prices of 48 shares rising and 29 declining.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed 5,205.70 points to 349,700.02, the All Jamaican Composite Index surged 4,271.57 points to 375,594.58, the JSE Main Index jumped 5,531.32 points to 337,438.62. The Junior Market Index rose 2.07 points to 3,794.97 and the JSE USD Market Index increased 3.87 points to settle at 259.55.
At the close of trading, 53,603,621 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from 31,242,143 units on Tuesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $409.6 million, up from $171.6 million yesterday and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 328,443 shares for US$47,111 compared to 610,533 units at US$78,231 on Monday.
Trading in the Main Market was dominated by Transjamaican Highway led trading with 21.31 million shares followed by Wigton Windfarm with 9.22 million units, GraceKennedy was next with 2.78 million stock units, Sagicor Select Financial Fund ended with 2.55 million shares, Wisynco Group closed with 2.41 million units and JMMB Group 7.35% – 2028 with 1.09 million stock units.
In the Junior Market, Future Energy led trading with 2.09 million shares followed by Fosrich with 1.13 million units, ONE on ONE Educational with 1.02 million stock units and Lasco Distributors with 1.02 million shares.
At the close of trading on the Main Market Barita Investments rallied $1.09 to close at $70.99, Berger Paints rose 82 cents to $6.62, Guardian Holdings popped $9 to end at $369, Jamaica Stock Exchange climbed $1 to $10, Kingston Wharves increased $2.53 in closing at $32.70, Massy Holdings gained $6.85 and ended at $96.86, Scotia Group rose $1.40 to close at $47.40, Stanley Motta rallied 99 cents and ended at $6.99, Sygnus Real Estate Finance increased $1.55 to close at $11.40
The major declining Main Market stocks include Jamaica Producers shed $1.02 and ended at $22.08, Mayberry Jamaican Equities sank 85 cents to end at $9.25, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy fell $1 to close at $90, Pan Jamaica lost $3.40 in closing at $48 and Seprod declined $1.21 to end at $82.50.
At the end of Junior Market trading, Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 25 cents in closing at $2.38, Caribbean Cream popped 42 cents and ended at $3.77, while AMG Packaging lost 35 cents to $2.74, Cargo Handlers declined 90 cents to end at $13.10.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share fell $1.83 in closing at $5.64 and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share shed $10.65 to $91.01.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 21.2 on 2022-23 earnings and 14.4 times those for 2023-24 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 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 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.
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 for investors 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.