Trading closed Wednesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a fall in the volume of stocks exchanged, with a lower value than on Tuesday, resulting in the Main Market major indices falling, the Junior Market index rising and the JSE USD Market falling. At the end of trading the prices of 34 shares rose, 44 declined and 27 remained firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index shed 864.48 points to finish at 344,502.67, the All Jamaican Composite Index sank 1,532.52 points to end at 383,262.39, the JSE Main Index drifted lower by 1,024.19 points to 332,094.96, the Junior Market Index rose 16.03 points to 3,755.23 and the JSE USD Market Index slipped 1.48 points to finish at 241.93.
At the close of the market, 16,404,398 shares were traded in all three markets, down from 23,414,907 units on Tuesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets down to $82.1 million, from $275.32 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 2,521,741 shares for US$130,691 well off the 28,644 stock units at US$13,387 on Tuesday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led with 2.65 million shares followed by Wigton Energy with 2.28 million stock units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.03 million stocks.
In Junior Market trading, Mailpac Group led with 1.16 million shares followed by RA Williams with 410,257 stock units and Lumber Depot with 272,397 stocks.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share gained $43 and ended at $270.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used in valuing stocks, ended at 13.8 on 2024-25 earnings and 20.1 based on 2023-24 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 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.