JSE Main market suffers big loss as trading climbs

Stocks fell in Monday’s trading session and pushed down the market indices, with the Main Market index losing more than 6,000 points, with the Junior Market after losing around 33 points, deep into the trading session bounced back before the close to end the day with a minor of a few points while the JSE USD market closed moderately lower as trading ended with the number of stocks changing hands falling and the value jumping sharply over the previous trading day, resulting in prices of 29 shares rising and 43 declining.
At the close of trading on Monday, the JSE Combined Market Index dived 5.384.99 points to close at 336,302.80, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 4,751.24 points to finish at 363,559.46, while the JSE Main Index plunged 5,752.15 points to end trading at 323,170.52. The Junior Market Index rose 1.10 points to 3,793.15 and the JSE USD Market Index fell 0.14 points to wrap up trading at 250.57.
At the close of trading, 31,872,543 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 36,320,454 units on Friday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $217.58 million, up from just $61.09, million on the previous trading day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 90,769 shares for US$18,681 compared to 83,304 units at US$2,577 on Friday.
Trading in the Main Market was dominated by General Accident with 12.0 million shares followed by Transjamaican Highway with 6.55 million units, Sagicor Group with 1.33 million stock units and Proven Investments with 1.0 million stocks.
In the Junior Market, Fosrich led trading with 999,041 shares followed by Derrimon Trading with 614,908 units and Everything Fresh with 526,860 stocks.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% increased $51 to $2,900 and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share dropped $10 in closing at $105.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 20.1 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 for investors to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 of the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.