Trading ended on Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a sharp drop in the volume and the value of stocks being exchanges compared to Thursday, resulting in gains in the Main Market and the JSE USD Market indices, with the Junior Market’s closing lower. At the close of market activities prices of 45 shares rose including Lasco Manufacturing that traded at an intraday 52 weeks’ high of $9, prices of 34 declined and 24 remained firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index advanced 2,348.48 points to 330,905.57, the All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 1,703.81 points to end at 365,438.63, the JSE Main Index climbed 2,601.00 points to close at 317,594.25, the Junior Market Index slipped 19.29 points to 3,792.59, and the JSE USD Market Index popped 0.06 points to settle at 236.24.
At the close of trading, 16,768,098 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 48,553,846 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounting to $83.79 million, well off from the $202.88 million on the previous trading day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 44,023 shares for US$2,193 down sharply from 555,546 units at US$14,136 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, QWI Investments led trading with 2.93 million stocks followed by Transjamaican Highway with 1.63 million shares and Radio Jamaica with 1.37 million units.
In Junior Market trading, ONE on ONE Educational led trading with 1.50 million stocks followed by JFP Ltd with 1.32 million shares and Fosrich with 543,515 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share declined $3.09 in closing at $16.51 with investors swapping 1,000 units, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% gained $209.99 to close at $2,899.99.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13 based on 2024-25 earnings and 21.3 based on 2023-24 historical earnings. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and other more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated data to help decision-making. The PE chart covers all ordinary shares 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 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding any major time income or expenses.
The chart should be used in making rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector, 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