Gains for Main & Junior Markets

Stocks mostly traded lower on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday with the volume and value of market activity declining compared with trading on Wednesday leaving the Main and Junior Market with modest gains and the JSE USD market closing moderately lower as trading ended with prices of 31 shares rising and 41 declining.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed 1,332.40 points to 329,554.83, the All Jamaican Composite Index gained by 573.65 points to end at 359,123.92 and the JSE Main Index rallied 1,278.81 points to end at 315,817.04. The Junior Market Index rallied 15.27 points to cease trading at 3,841.11 and the JSE USD Market Index shed 1.06 points to end at 223.05.
At the close of trading, 19,477,144 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 23,066,388 units on Wednesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $108.65 million, in line with $109.09 million on the previous trading day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 501,008 shares for US$10,466 compared to 76,769 units at US$6,069 on Wednesday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led trading with 4.58 million shares followed by Wigton Windfarm with 2.48 million stocks, Sagicor Select Financial Fund ended with 1.60 million units, Supreme Ventures with 1.54 million shares and Radio Jamaica with 1.17 million units.
In Junior Market trading, JFP Ltd led trading with 1.24 million shares followed by Paramount Trading with 1.0 million units and EduFocal with 969,571 stock units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share popped $3.58 in closing at $19.58, Eppley 7.50% preference share rose 84 cents to finish at $6.45 and Jamaica Public Service 7% gained $3.99 and ended at $46.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 20.2 on 2023-24 earnings and 13.6 times those for 2024-25 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and 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 more detailed daily 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 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.