JSE Main Market falls, Juniors rise

Jamaica stocks rose on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday but overseas-based stocks pulled back, with the Main Market slipping as the Junior Market recovered some of the grounds lost on Wednesday but the JSE USD market closed lower following a drop in the volume and value of stocks trading falling.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index shed 206.43 points to end trading at 336,846.57, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,082.80 to close at 363,466.02, the JSE Main Index fell 499.84 points to 323,758.65. The Junior Market Index climbed 29.96 points to 3,792.26 and the JSE USD Market Index fell 2.02 points to 237.31.
At the close of trading, 10,635,206 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 13,087,775 units on Wednesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounting to $38.4 million, down compared with $69.13 million on Tuesday and the JSE USD market closed after 250,247 shares were traded, for US$11,360 compared to 163,964 units at US$2,851 on Wednesday.
Main Market trading was dominated by Transjamaican Highway led trading with 1.41 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.29 million units and QWI Investments with 888,809 units.
In the Junior Market, iCreate led trading with 612,599 shares followed by Future Energy with 573,561 units and One Great Studio with 415,210 units.
Main Market stocks rallying were NCB Financial rose $1 to close at $67.50 and Seprod rallied $2.10 in closing at $85.
Declining Main Market stocks included, GraceKennedy lost $1.75 to close at $78, Supreme Ventures declined $1.35 to $24.60 and Jamaica Broilers sank $1 in closing at $33.50.
Rising Junior Market stocks include Dolphin Cove advancing 70 cents in closing at $20 and Fontana increasing 52 cents to $10.60. There were stocks with big losses in this market.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share dropped $10 to end at $120 and Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share advanced $15 in closing at $1,075
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 21.9 on 2022-23 earnings and 14.1 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 navigate numerous investment options successfully in the 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.