JSE Main Market rises, Junior Market drops

The Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market inched higher in trading on Thursday and the JSE USD Markets popped marginally higher but the Junior Market suffered a sold fall to close out the day, with a drop in volume of stocks traded but at a higher value than on Wednesday.
At close, the JSE Combined Market Index rose 720.66 points to 329,968.51, the All Jamaican Composite Index popped 370.00 points to 349,099.70, the JSE Main Index climbed 1,202.56 points to close at 315,905.85. The Junior Market Index dropped 45.28 points to close at 3,847.42 and the JSE USD Market Index inched 0.03 points higher to end at 229.05.
Investors traded 10,303,204 shares in all markets, down from 16,178,017 stock units on Wednesday. The value of stocks traded rose on the Junior and Main markets to $114.36 million from $106.3 million on Wednesday. The JSE USD market closed after 191,624 shares were traded for US$7,484 compared to 73,498 units at US$5,221 on Wednesday.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% climbed $10 to end at $2,900.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 22.5 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 require pertinent information to successfully navigate  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.