Trading closed Thursday with NCB Financial trading 13 million shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with a $5 fall in price that helped push the market indices down. Trading ended with the volume of stocks exchanged falling as the value jumped compared to Wednesday, resulting in Main Market major indices rising, the Junior Market index rising and the JSE USD Market falling. At the end of trading, the prices of 28 shares rose, 44 declined and 28 remained firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index dropped 2,007.27 points to end at 334,414.12, the All Jamaican Composite Index shed 1,783.85 points to to finish at 373,662.25, the JSE Main Index shank 2,156.94 points to finish at 322,879.47, the Junior Market Index gained 7.76 points to conclude trading at 3,577.36 and the JSE USD Market Index declined 4.01 points to end at 214.18.
At the close of trading, 37,626,914 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 59,690,075 units on Wednesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $712.3 million, up from just $157.41 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 66,723 shares for US$3,837 far below the 441,767 units at US$12,713 on Wednesday.
In Main Market activity, NCB Financial led with 12.85 million shares followed by Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 6.47 million stocks and Transjamaican Highway with 3.08 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Fontana led with 8.13 million shares followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 1.01 million stocks and Dolla Financial with 786,388 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share gained $2.99 in closing at $20, Jamaica Public Service 7% declined $5.64 to $34, 138 Student Living preference share sank $33.82 to finish at $196, Sygnus Credit Investments 10% lost $3 and ended at $97 and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% sank by $2 to end at $103.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 12.5 based on 2024-25 earnings and 20.1 based on 2024 historical earnings. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the other more detailed daily charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making. The PE ratio chart covers all the ordinary shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons within a sector and the overall market. The earnings per share (EPS) and the PE ratios are based on 2024 and 2025 actual or projected earnings, excluding any major one-time income or expense.
Pertinent information is required to navigate numerous investment options successfully in the stock market. The chart is useful in making of rational decisions when investing in stocks that are 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 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.