Markets’ trades drop back on Wednesday

Trading fell back to more recent normal levels on the Jamaica Stock Exchange declined on Wednesday following the big 45 percent acquisition of Caribbean Producers’ shareholding on Tuesday resulting in all markets closing lower as the volume and the value of stocks traded, pulled back sharply ended with prices of just 26 shares rising and 44 declining.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index shed 423.64 points to close at 331,235.62, the All Jamaican Composite Index skidded 225.66 points to wrap up trading at 357,126.48, the JSE Main Index rose 203.31 points to lock up trading at 318,474.57. The Junior Market Index sank 87.25 points to wrap-up trading at 3,721.26 and the JSE USD Market Index fell 7.18 points to conclude trading at 231.45.
At the close of trading, 27,362,023 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from the Caribbean Producers boosted 505,129,200 units on Tuesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $175.39 million, well below the $5.2 billion on the previous trading day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 448,485 shares for US$18,478 compared to 331,393 units at US$15,388 on Tuesday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led trading with 5.49 million shares followed by Wigton Windfarm with 4.45 million stocks, Innovative Energy Group Ltd ended with 1.93 million units, Caribbean Producers had trading of 1.24 million units, Carreras closed with 1.21 million shares and GraceKennedy with 1.06 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Future Energy led trading with 3.03 million shares followed by Omni Industries with 1.36 million units and Indies Pharma with 972,611 stocks.
In the preference segment, no stock was traded with a notable price change.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 20.1 on 2023-24 earnings and 13.7 times those for 2024-25 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and 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 within a sector and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Pertinent information is required to navigate numerous investment options successfully in the stock market. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The chart should be used in making rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector, 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 for investors 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 of the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.