Led by a sharp fall in the price of West Indies Petroleum, bringing an end to the party that was raging on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Main Market for a few days and pushing the major indices down at the close on Wednesday, with a rise in the volume of stocks traded, with a greater value than on Tuesday. The Junior Market index jumped and the JSE USD Market rose. Trading ended with prices of 36 shares rising, 44 declining and 33 remaining firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index fell 2,686.66 points to 347,000.23, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 4,439.85 points to wrap up trading at 392,257.47, the JSE Main Index fell 3,209.13 points to finish at 337,587.34, the Junior Market Index climbed by 54.13 points to finish at 3,373.12 and the JSE USD Market Index advanced 1.68 points to 228.93.
At the close of trading, 26,676,366 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from 18,617,434 units on Tuesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $107.62 million, up from $74.2 million on the previous day. The JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 408,120 shares for US$24,622, down from 587,819 units at US$40,219 on Tuesday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led trading with 6.27 million shares followed by Lasco Manufacturing with 1.78 million stocks and West Indies Petroleum with 1.36 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Atlantic Hardware led with 4.65 million shares, followed by Kintyre Holdings with 3.23 million stocks and EduFocal with 3.12 million units.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.2 based on projected 2026-27 earnings and 15.4 compiled by using 2025 earnings, excluding major one time income or expense. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily charts provide regularly updated information to help decision-making. The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons within a sector and the overall market.
Pertinent information is required to navigate numerous investment options successfully in the stock market. The chart should be used in making rational decisions when investing in stocks 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 includes 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.