Trading closed Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange with a fall in the volume of stocks exchanged, carrying a lower value than on Thursday, resulting in the Junior Market index rising, the Main Market major indices falling and the JSE USD Market slipping at the end of trading with the prices of 35 shares rising, 45 declining and 27 remaining firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index declined 582.12 points to conclude trading at 341,761.48, at the same time the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,208.34 points to settle at 381,116.32, the JSE Main Index shed 724.33 points to end trading at 329,544.38, while the Junior Market Index climbed 15.41 points to 3,713.09 and the JSE USD Market Index skidded 1.14 points to finish at 218.44.
At the close of trading, 16,077,673 shares were exchanged in all three markets, sharply down from 114,183,228 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to a mere $44.35 million, a big fall from $258.89 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 53,579 shares for US$26,575 compared to 172,951 units at US$8,636 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led with just 890,136 shares followed by Wigton Energy with 466,547 stocks and Sagicor Select Manufacturing & Distribution Fund with 276,656 stock units.
In Junior Market trading, Kintyre Holdings led with 4.94 million shares followed by Jamaican Teas with 3.28 million stocks and Paramount Trading with 2.0 million units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share gained $2.25 to finish at $19.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.6 based on 2024-25 earnings and 19.7 based on 2023-24 historical earnings. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the other more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making. The PE ratio chart covers all the ordinary shares listed on 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.