Investors quietly focused on stocks in trading on Monday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, that are likely to benefit or suffer from the impact of the recent hurricane on the economy. Hardware and lumber distributors saw increased interest with price gains. In the tourism, agriculture and transport sectors, prices slipped. At the end of trading, prices of 26 shares rose, against a much higher 60 declining and 27 remained firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index lost 3,589.95 points to 329,715.46, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,941.68 points to close trading at 366,505.94, the JSE Main Index fell 3,047.82 points to settle at 319,772.93, the Junior Market Index declined a hefty 94.85 points to 3,340.03 and the JSE USD Market Index skidded 3.67 points to 191.09.
At the close of trading, 20,792,598 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 81,618,783 units on Friday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $82.47 million, down from $192.13 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 232,839 shares for US$24,914 compared to 17,043 units at US$10,544 on Friday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led with 7.95 million shares, followed by JMMB 9.5% with 1.03 million stocks and Carreras with 447,684 units.
In Junior Market trading, Atlantic Hardware led with 3.13 million shares, followed by Kintyre Holdings with 2.07 million stocks and Lumber Depot with 928,959 units.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share lost $10 to close at $255, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% fell $145 to $1,010, Sygnus Credit Investments 10% skidded $4.78 to finish at $100 and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% increased $4.90 and ended at $105.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.7 based on 2025-26 earnings and 15.1 based on 2024 historical earnings. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the other, more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making. The PE ratio chart covers all the ordinary shares listed 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 2025 actual or projected earnings, excluding any major one time income or expense.
Pertinent information is required to navigate numerous investment options in the stock market. The chart should be used to make 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 not being 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.