NCB Financial dominates trading

NCB Financial traded more than 23 million shares with a value of $1.1 billion on Friday and pushed the total amount of shares traded to more than 70 million with a value of $1.73 billion on the Jamaica Stock Exchange following the commencement of trading on the penultimate trading day for September, with some solid gains. By the close, some of the early gains were eroded as investors marked some stocks lower at the close on Friday, with the Main Market Index holding on to more than 3,000 points while the Junior Market ended up with a rise of 31 points after it rallied 58 points in early morning trading and JSE USD market closed marginally lower. Trading ended with prices of 52 shares rising and only 19 declining.
At the close of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed 3,249.51 points to 326,549.76, the All Jamaican Composite Index popped a heady 5,154.96 points to close trading at 358,668.76, the JSE Main Index jumped 3,160.11 points to end the day at 312,986.31. The Junior Market Index rallied 31.75 points to end the day at 3,799.56 and the JSE USD Market Index shed 6.05 points to end the day at 226.91.
At the close of trading, 70,384,194 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from 33,666,552 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $1.73 billion, well over the $213.15 million on the previous trading day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 156,160 shares for US$14,973 compared to 261,025 units at US$7,711 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, NCB Financial led trading with 23.01 million shares followed by Wigton Windfarm with 8.95 million stocks, Barita Investments with 4.16 million units, Transjamaican Highway was next with 2.32 million shares, Radio Jamaica with 1.99 million units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 1.52 million stocks.
In Junior Market trading, Fosrich led trading with 7.52 million shares followed by Derrimon Trading with 5.87 million stocks, Jamaican Teas with 3.23 million units and RA Williams with 1.06 million shares.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% gained $4.99 in closing at $47, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% slipped $1 to $2,699 and 138 Student Living preference share jumped $19.01 to finish at $199.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 20.2 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 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.