Trading plunged back to more recently acceptable low levels Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with a fall in the volume of stocks exchanged, carrying a lower value than on Thursday, when a large amount of Transjamaican stocks were traded and swelling trading above more recent daily levels. Trading resulted in Main Market major indices falling, the Junior Market index just holding onto a modest gain and the JSE USD Market slipping, as trading ended with prices of 34 shares rising, 41 declining and 35 remaining firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index lost 2,725.77 points to wrap up trading at 326,696.71, the All Jamaican Composite Index shed 1,871.73 points to settle at 365,851.91, the JSE Main Index plunged 2,867.75 points to 315,618.69, the Junior Market Index gained 1.82 points to finish at 3,469.81 and the JSE USD Market Index slipped 1.97 points to finish at 214.78.
At the close of trading, 16,601,761 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from massive 1,233,356,622 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to just $85.43 million, down from $4.4 billion on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 510,567 shares for US$22,529 down from 1,653,319 units at US$64,360 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led trading with 6.37 million shares followed by Wigton Energy with 1.87 million stocks and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.77 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Derrimon Trading led with 1.0 million shares, followed by EduFocal with 660,647 stocks and Atlantic Hardware with 581,974 units.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share rallied $19 to close at $233 and Sygnus Credit Investments 10% rose $1.17 to $99.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 12.4 based on 2024-25 earnings and 19.3 based on 2024 historical earnings. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and other more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help in decision-making. The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares listed 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 2024 and 2025 actual or projected earnings, excluding any major one time income or expense.
Pertinent information is required to navigate numerous investment options successfully in the stock market. The chart should be used in making rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the sector average, 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 for each company