The Main and Junior markets closed lower at the end of trading on Wednesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, and the JSE USD Market finished higher, following prices of 33 shares rising, 41 declining and 34 remaining firm. The volume of stocks exchanged declined, with a greater value than on Tuesday.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index declined 1,940.80 points to 317,941.62, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 2,145.68 points to end at 352,987.34, the JSE Main Index shed 1,909.54 points to settle at 306,865.74, the Junior Market Index sank 16.07 points to 3,420.73 and the JSE USD Market Index advanced 0.15 points to end at 203.84.
At the close of trading, 8,624,363 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 10,985,037 units on Tuesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounting to $91 million, up from $52.94 million on the previous day. The JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 75,771 shares for US$43,620 compared to 90,425 units at US$17,687 on Tuesday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led trading with 1.91 million shares, followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 803,640 stocks and NCB Financial with 758,939 units.
In Junior Market trading, Tropical Battery led with 571,644 shares, followed by One Great Studio with 376,843 stocks and Spur Tree Spices with 359,035 units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% advanced $5.88 to $43 and 138 Student Living preference share slipped $2.85 to finish at $223.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.6 based on 2024-25 earnings and 16.1 based on 2024 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 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 successfully in the stock market. The chart should be used in making 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 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.