Trading closed Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with a fall in the volume of stocks traded, at a lower value than on Thursday. Trading closed with the major indices of the Main Market and the Junior Market rising, while the JSE USD Market declined. At the end of trading, 38 shares rose, 33 declined and 32 remained firm.
At the end of the market activity, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed by 1,218.72 points to close at 385,971.08, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 493.78 points to end at 455,656.10, the JSE Main Index gained 1,027.18 points to finish at 380,173.09, the Junior Market Index rallied 32.97 points to settle at 3,130.89 and the JSE USD Market Index skidded by 0.68 points to conclude trading at 275.17.
At the close of trading, 13,007,916 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 17,831,659 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounting to just $92.97 million, down from $121.61 million previously. Trading on the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 123,887 shares for US$7,308 compared to 403,181 units at US$25,918 on Thursday.
In Main Market activities, Transjamaican Highway led trading with 6.59 million shares, followed by Wigton Energy with 812,917 stocks and Carreras with 210,402 units.
In Junior Market trading, no company traded a million shares. RA Williams led with 905,109 shares, followed by Dolla Financial with 405,177 stocks and Caribbean Cream with 358,925 units.
In Main Market ordinary share trading, Scotia Group gained $1.45 and ended at $71.50, AS Bryden increased $1.39 to close at $18.70, Caribbean Cement popped 85 cents to close at $114.85, Jamaica Broilers climbed 48 cents to finish at $14.48 and Sygnus Real Estate Finance rose 39 cents to close at $7.90. Among the top losers, Guardian Holdings slipped $2.98 to end at $374.94, Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost $1.10 in closing at $8.39, NCB Financial declined by $1 to close at $73.00, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund shed 75 cents and ended at $40.25 and Barita Investments dipped 56 cents to finish at $74.14.
In the preference segment, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% lost $50 to finish at $1,150.
In the Junior Market, among the top winners, Access Financial rallied $1.87 to finish at $20.98, Caribbean Cream advanced 55 cents and ended at 52 weeks closing high of $3.85, Jamaican Teas rose 19 cents in closing at $2.19, Dolla Financial climbed 16 cents to close at $3.68, Paramount Trading increased 14 cents to end at $1.04 and Everything Fresh climbed 14 cents and ended at $1.85. Among the top losers, Regency Petroleum skidded by 13 cents to finish at $4.05, Limners and Bards fell 10 cents and ended at 98 cents, Future Energy dipped by 8 cents to close at $3.60, Image Plus lost 5 cents to end at $1.75 and Lasco Financial dipped 5 cents in closing at $1.50.
At the close of trading, the PE ratio for the current year, compiled from projected 2026-27 earnings, is 13.5 and 17.2 based on 2025 historical earnings. Major one-off income or expenses are excluded from earnings where applicable. The PE ratio is one of the most used measures in valuing shares. It is calculated by dividing the stock price by earnings per share. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to assist in making investment decisions. The PE ratio chart includes all ordinary shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry and facilitates easy comparisons within sectors and the overall market.
Pertinent information is needed to navigate the numerous options in the stock market. The chart should be used to help in decision-making, especially when investing close to the market or sector averages, and not going too far from it unless compelling reasons exist. This approach reduces emotional bias in investment decisions and places them on fundamentals, without straying far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy stocks near the average will not overpay. The net asset value of each company is incorporated into the chart. Investors can use this measure in assessing stock values. The chart also includes daily changes in stock prices and percentage year to date price movements based on the last traded price. Dividends that are paid or 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.