Rising stocks dominated trading at the close of trading on Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with prices of 41 shares rising, 29 declining and 31 remaining firm, following a rise in the volume of stocks exchanged, with a much greater value than on Thursday, resulting in the primary Main Market indices rising, with NCB Financial jumping $2.75, Seprod dropping $3.82 and Eppley Property Fund losing $2.69. The Junior Market Index popped higher and the JSE USD Market fell, bringing the year to date loss to 22 percent.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index rallied 1,362.98 points to 321,802.10, the All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 829.31 points to 359,170.72, the JSE Main Index rose 1,170.81 points to finish at 311,290.55, the Junior Market Index rallied 33.65 points to settle at 3,370.20 and the JSE USD Market Index slipped 4.97 points to 196.49.
At the close of trading, 10,699,731 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from 9,013,387 units on Thursday. The value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $78.89 million, up from $32.89 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 303,408 shares for US$16,030 compared to 84,860 units at US$32,196 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, Carreras led trading with just 851,346 shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway, with 575,472 stocks and Palace Amusement with 473,112 units.
In Junior Market trading, Caribbean Flavours led the market, with 1.94 million shares, followed by Dolla Financial, with 1.04 million stocks and Jamaican Teas with 527,209 units.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.7 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.