Trading closed Friday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange with reduced market activity, with the Main indices of the Main Market and the Junior Market rising, while the JSE USD Market fell, with the Main and the JSE USD market indices closing well above the 2025 close and at the highest levels since 2022, but the Junior closed the first month of the year moderately lower. At the end of trading the prices of 48 shares rose, 31 declined and 33 remained firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index jumped 771.16 points to wrap up trading for the first month of 2026 at 355,590.95, the All Jamaican Composite Index gained 847.04 points to end at 403,422.64, the JSE Main Index climbed 620.92 points to finish at 346,437.16, the Junior Market Index popped 24.93 points to 3,390.30 and the JSE USD Market Index dipped 3.20 points to 265.00.
At the end of trading, 43,051,131 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 57,492,691 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $152.48 million, well off from $397.62 million on the previous day. The JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 1,015,936 shares for US$43,957 compared to 3,285,230 units at US$265,998 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, Sagicor Select Financial Fund led with 5.86 million shares, followed by Transjamaican Highway with 5.79 million stocks and Wigton Energy with 4.35 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Kintyre Holdings led with 3.89 million shares, followed by Dolla Financial with 3.25 million stocks and Regency Petroleum with 2.54 million units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% rallied $2.19 in closing at $43, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% increased $397.50 to close at $2,599 and 138 Student Living preference share declined $24 to finish at $220.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 14.7 compiled using on 2026-27 earnings and 15.9, based on 2025 historical earnings, excluding any major one time income or expense. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help with 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.
Pertinent information is required to navigate the numerous investment options successfully in the stock market. The chart should be used to help in the making of 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 not being far from the majority of investors. Investors who buy when the stock price 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 price. Dividends that are paid or 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.