No impact from added hours on Jamaica Stock Exchange trading

Monday was the first day of extended trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with the market opening at 9 o’clock instead of the 9.30 opening, the norm for several years and closing at 2 pm instead of 1 pm previously. The market activity resulted in all three markets closing moderately lower than Friday, with the increased trading hours having no impact on the volume and value of stocks trading so far, instead there was a sharp fall in both the volume and value of stocks changing hands compared with market activity on Friday, resulting in prices of 42 shares declining and 31 rising.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index shed 577.51 points in ending at 329,284, the All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 148.69 points to end at 354,558.12, the JSE Main Index skidded 571.38 points to end trading at 316,691.12. The Junior Market Index slipped 4.28 points to 3,687.26 and the JSE USD Market Index skidded 1.84 points to close at 235.96.
At the close of trading, 9,688,074 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from units on 18,855,563 Friday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $59.56 million, well below the $81.15 million on the previous trading day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 299,302 shares for US$36,390 compared to 233,466 units at US$32,685 on Friday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led trading with 1.49 million shares followed by Wigton Windfarm with 1.19 million stock units and Sagicor Select Financial Fund with 485,182 units.
In the Junior Market, Dolla Financial led trading with 1.54 million shares followed by JFP Ltd with 929,509 stocks and One Great Studio with 330,703 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share sank $2.94 and ended at $17.06, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share surged $165 to close at $1,200 and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share popped $6.50 to end trading at $113.50.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 20.9 based on 2023-24 earnings and 13 times those for 2024-25 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 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 the more detailed daily report 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.