Main Market gains Juniors slip

The Main Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange recorded gains in the Market Indices on Monday as the heavily weighted NCB Financial rose $3.38 and Scotia Group climbed $1 while the Junior Market and the US Dollar index dipped with the volume of stocks trading rising but with a lower value than Friday.
At close, the JSE Combined Market Index rallied 908.48 points to end at 330,310.41, while the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 1,758.93 points to close at 348,317.02, the JSE Main Index advanced 1,026.11 points to end at 316,012.07, the Junior Market Index skidded 5.78 points to finish at 3,874.56 and the JSE USD Market Index fell 4.09 points to 243.85.
Investors traded 14,826,176 shares in all three markets, up from 11,222,892 units on Friday. The value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $62.6 million, up from $110.53 million on Friday. On Friday, trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 576,968 stock units for US$11,519 compared to 145,630 shares for US$4,064.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share rallied $1.30 to close at $19.95, Jamaica Public Service 7% skidded $12 and ended at $40 and Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share fell $169 to $1,046.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 20.8 on 2022-23 earnings and 10.9 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 successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.