Main Market back to winning as other slip

The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange gained in trading on Friday as the Junior Market JSE USD market slipped moderately as trading ended with the number exchanged fell, with the value traded jumping sharply over that on Thursday, with GraceKennedy accounting for $257.57 million worth of stock traded, with trading ended with 29 ordinary shares rising and 35 declining, with AS Bryden closing at a record high of $45 to be up 100 percent since listing in late 2023.
At the close of trading on Friday, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed 2,814.34 points to close at 335,199.54, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 3,718.84 points to 359,839.19, the JSE Main Index rallied 3,015.95 points to close trading at 322,238.80. The Junior Market Index lost 1.62 points to lock up trading at 3,766.95 and the JSE USD Market Index slipped 0.01 points to end the day at 238.06.
At the close of trading, 23,346,054 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 24,096,418 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $389.49 million, up from $52.34 million on Thursday and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 30,455 shares for US$3,516 compared to 81,185 units at US$2,499 on Thursday.
Main Market trading was dominated by Wigton Windfarm led trading with 4.96 million followed by JMMB Group 7.5% with 4.18 million units, GraceKennedy with 3.29 million units, Carreras with 2.46 million units and Radio Jamaica with 1.12 million units.
In the Junior Market, EduFocal led trading with 922,326 shares, followed by AMG Packaging with 568,839 units and Dolla Financial with 530,862 stock units.
At the close of the market, some of the major Main Market stocks that rose are AS Bryden advanced $8.50 in closing at a record high of $45, Barita Investments rose $1.87 to $72.40 and JMMB Group rose 88 cents and ended at $24.68.
The major declining Main Market stocks include  First Rock Real Estate declined $1.04 and ended at $6.01 and NCB Financial falling  by $2.05 to $65.05.
On a day of limited price movement in the Junior Market, the major stocks with gains are AMG Packaging increased 41 cents to $3.17 and Caribbean Assurance Brokers popped 24 cents to end at $2.25, with the major losing stocks being Access Financial dropping $2.50 to close at $20.50 and Consolidated Bakeries falling 32 cents in closing at $1.88.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% dropped $6 to close at $42.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 21.4 on 2022-23 earnings and 13.9 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 to quickly assess the value of stocks based on this measure. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.