Trading closed Monday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a fall in the volume of stocks exchanged, having a lower value than Friday. At the close, the Main Market major indices and the Junior Market index fell and the JSE USD Market rose, resulting from the prices of 38 shares rising, 48 declining and 25 remaining firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index lost 2,910.24 points to end at 337,040.19, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,196.35 points to 382,234.89, the JSE Main Index dropped 3,003.13 points to 325,870.19, the Junior Market Index fell 5.32 points to finish at 3,544.63 and the JSE USD Market Index enjoyed a healthy rally with a bounce of 16.36 points to settle at 237.86.
At the close of the market on Monday, a total of 18,004,686 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 23,374,881 units on Friday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $86.75 million, well below the $299.11 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 699,719 shares for US$22,846 compared to 1,177,910 units at US$32,735 on Friday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led with 3.57 million shares followed by Wigton Energy with 890,204 stocks and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 707,529 units.
In Junior Market trading, EduFocal led with 1.91 million shares followed by Fosrich with 1.21 million stocks and Kintyre Holdings with 1.14 million units.
In the preferred shares segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share fell $2.03 and ended at $17 and Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share climbed $20 to $1,000.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 12.6 based on 2024-25 earnings and 19.3 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.