JSE Main Market drops, Junior Markets rises

The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market closed trading on Friday lower with modest trading activity characterized trading, but the Junior Market and JSE USD Markets pushed higher to close the week positively.
At close, the JSE Combined Market Index dropped 2,613.54 points to close at 327,354.97, while the All Jamaican Composite Index shed 1,366.63 points to end at 347,733.07, the JSE Main Index lost 3,039.14 points to settle at 312,866.71. The Junior Market Index popped 25.76 points to end at 3,873.18 and the JSE USD Market Index rallied 1.94 points to 230.99.
Investors traded 8,797,366 shares in all three markets, down from 10,303,204 stock units on Thursday. The value of stocks traded plunged on the Junior and Main markets to just $41.29 million from $114.36 million on Thursday. The JSE USD market closed after 50,369 shares were traded for US$10,547 compared to 191,624 units at US$7,484 on Friday.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.50% preference share declined 90 cents to end at $5.07 and 138 Student Living preference share shed $17.73 and ended at $89.27.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 22.6 on 2022-23 earnings and 11.1 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local stock market. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 reported as a guide to quickly assess the value of stocks based on this measure. The chart also shows daily changes in stock prices and the percentage year to date price movement based on the last traded prices.
Dividends paid or payable and yields for each company are shown in the Main and Junior Markets’ daily report charts, along with the closing volume pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.