The Junior Market Index plunged 59.53 points to close at 3,882.497 points on the resumption of trading on Tuesday after the market was closed for the Independence holiday on Monday. In contrast, the Main Market and JSE US dollar Market rose moderately at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Tuesday while the volume of stocks traded declined from Friday level but with a higher value.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index popped 197.70 points to close at 340,527.20, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 153.51 points to close at 361,747.17, the JSE Main Index advanced 653.62 points to 326,741.46, while the JSE USD Market Index popped 1.05 points to close at 241.67.
Preference shares that ended with notable price changes were Jamaica Public Service 7% declining $14 to close at $55, 138 Student Living preference share shedding $15 to close at $84.98 and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share gaining $1.45 to end at $102.95.
At the close, investors had dealings in 23,473,622 shares in all three markets, up from 20,248,937 stocks on Friday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main Markets ended at $71.38 million, down from $133.6 million on Friday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 37,378 shares for US$906, compared with 745,414 units at US$22,909 on Friday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks, ended at 18.7 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.6 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. It shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Big slip for Juniors while majors rise
Margaritaville tops ICTOP10
Margaritaville was the top performing ICTOP10 stock after jumping 30 percent during the week to close at 11.35 US cents in the first week on the TOP10. That was the only notable gainer in the Main Market list, although JMMB Group added 5 percent to close at $28.55.
Margaritaville, located in the Turks & Caicos Islands
The Junior Market’s Iron Rock Insurance jumped 15 percent to $2.41, followed by a 12 percent rise in the price of Everything Fresh to $1.53, with General Accident adding just 4 per cent to close at $4.90.
The Main Market had a 14 percent fall in Key Insurance to $2.51, followed by 8 percent in 138 Student Living, ending at $4.28. The Junior Market’s Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 13 percent to $2.60 and Edufocal was down 8 percent to $1.66. The week closed with no new additions to the ICTOP10.
At the end of the week, the average PE for the JSE Main Market TOP 10 is 5.3, well below the market average of 13.1. The Main Market TOP10 is projected to have an average of 326 percent, to May 2024, based on 2023 forecasted earnings.
The 14 most highly valued Main Market stocks representing 30 percent of the Main Market are priced at a PE of 15 to 108, with an average of 30 and 20 excluding the highest PE ratios, with a PE of 23 for the top half and 18 excluding the stocks with the highest PEs.
The Junior Market Top 10 PE sits at 5.8 compared with the market at 10.9. There are 11 stocks representing 23 percent of the market, with PEs from 15 to 40, averaging 20, that is well above the market’s average. The top half of the market has an average PE of 16, possibly the lowest fair value for Junior Market stocks currently, and is projected to rise by 248 percent to May 2024.
The divergence between the average PE ratio of the Main and Junior Markets and the overall market valuation are important indicators of the likely gains for ICTOP10 stocks.
ICTOP10 focuses on likely yearly winners, accordingly, the list includes some of the best companies in the market, but not always. 
ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings, allowing investors to focus on the most undervalued stocks and helping to remove emotions in selecting stocks for investments that often result in costly mistakes.
IC TOP10 stocks are likely to deliver the best returns up to the end of May 2024 and are ranked in order of potential gains, computed using projected earnings for the current fiscal year. Expected values will change as stock prices fluctuate, resulting in weekly movements in and out of the lists. Revisions to earnings are ongoing, based on receipt of new information.
Persons who compiled this report may have an interest in securities commented on in this report.
Junior Market recovery continues
The majority of stocks declined on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday, with trading in 42 securities, the same as Thursday and ended with prices of 15 rising, 18 declining and nine closing unchanged, following a 16 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded with the value, 21 percent lower than on Thursday.
A total of 8,609,687 shares were traded for $20,924,228 compared with 10,235,296 units at $26,387,309 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 204,993 shares at $498,196 compared to 243,698 units at $628,269 on the preceding day, with the month to date averaging 197,517 units at $495,832 compared to 193,866 stock units at $494,677 on the previous day. July closed with an average of 326,541 units at $843,878.
Following the announcement of the nine for one stock split, Stationery and Office Supplies have been trading with increased daily volume and led trading on Friday, with 3.66 million shares for 42.5 percent of total volume, Dolla Financial followed with 1.52 million units for 17.6 percent of the day’s trade and Paramount Trading ended with 758,569 units for 8.8 percent market share.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index rose 22.99 points to 3,942.02.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial declined 15 cents to close at $25.30 with an exchange of 3 shares, AMG Packaging dropped 31 cents to end at $2.29 with 1,500 stock units clearing the market, Cargo Handlers gained $1.50 to $19 with a transfer of 500 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dipped 30 cents and ended at $2.60 after a transfer of 1,547 stocks. Dolla Financial lost 8 cents in closing at $2.80, with 1,516,624 stock units passing through the market, Dolphin Cove popped 98 cents and ended at $17 while exchanging 2,464 units, EduFocal fell 14 cents to end at $1.66, with 13,022 stocks crossing the exchange, Fontana advanced 20 cents to close at $11, with stakeholders trading 91,563 shares. 
General Accident rose 20 cents in closing at $4.90, with 1,000 stocks changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance climbed 31 cents to $2.41 and closed with an exchange of 5 stock units, Jamaican Teas increased 18 cents to end at $2.29 after an exchange of 600 units. JFP Ltd shed 9 cents in closing at $1.66 with shareholders swapping 487,556 shares, Lasco Manufacturing dipped 43 cents to $4.56 after exchanging 16,964 shares, Limners and Bards rallied 9 cents and ended at $1.99 as investors exchanged 20,405 units, Main Event declined 49 cents to close at $14.50 in switching ownership of 50 stocks. Paramount Trading climbed 16 cents and ended at $2.06, with 758,569 stock units crossing the market, Spur Tree Spices lost 11 cents to close at $2.33 in an exchange of 6,825 shares, 
Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 26 cents to $2.34 in trading 3,663,408 stock units, following the trading of 1.3 million units on Thursday following all the shares from the stock split was available for trading and tTech gained 11 cents in closing at $2.26 trading 37,481 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Main and Junior Markets rise
The JSE US dollar Market was the only of the three Jamaica Stock Exchanges that declined at the close on Friday while the volume and value of stocks traded plunged compared to Thursday’s trade which was boosted by trading of 113 million shares valued at $167 million in Transjamaican preference share.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index dipped 197.70 points to close at 340,347.08, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 519.86 points to end at 361,593.66, the JSE Main Index declined 437.40 points to settle at 326,087.84, the Junior Market Index gained 22.99 points on top of the 24.51 points picked on Thursday to conclude trading at 3,942.02 and thus recovered all of Wednesday’s loss, while the JSE USD Market Index fell 7.39 points to close at 240.60.
Jamaica Public Service 7% was the only Preference shares that ended with notable price changes, with an advance of $7.52 to $69.
At the close, investors had dealings in 20,248,937 shares, in all three markets, up sharply down from 135,167,230 stocks on Thursday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main Markets ended at $133.6 million, down from $261.89 million on Thursday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 745,414 shares for US$22,909, compared with 243,793 units at US$38,581 on Thursday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.7 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.6 times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. It shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Junior Market rallies
Trading picked on the Junior Market that helped in driving the Index up 24.51 points to 3,919.03 at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday, following a 59 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded and a 63 percent rise in value over Wednesday, with trading in 42 securities compared with 44 on Wednesday and ended with 18 rising, 16 declining and eight closing unchanged.
Investors pushed 10,235,296 shares through the market for $26,387,309 compared with 6,437,192 units at $16,154,901 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 243,698 shares at $628,269, compared to 146,300 shares at $367,157 on the previous day, with trading for the month to date averaging 193,866 units at $494,677. July closed with an average of 326,541 units at $843,878.
Dolla Financial led trading with 2.92 million shares for 28.5 percent of total volume, followed by Lasco Financial with 2.14 million units for 20.9 percent of the day’s trade and Stationery and Office Supplies fresh from a nine to one stock split, ended with 1.34 million units for 13.1 percent of the day’s trade.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
At the close, CAC 2000 increased 37 cents to $5.98 while trading 236 shares, Caribbean Cream dipped 36 cents to $4.08 after 1,000 stock units passed through the market, Dolla Financial gained 38 cents in closing at $2.88, with investors exchanging 2,916,062 stocks. Dolphin Cove declined 96 cents and ended at $16.02, with 41,190 units crossing the exchange, Elite Diagnostic rose 45 cents to close at $2 in an exchange of 7,999 stock units, Honey Bun advanced 60 cents in closing at $6.30, with 18,520 units crossing the market. Image Plus Consultants dipped 11 cents to end at $2.20, with 485,893 shares changing hands, Indies Pharma shed 19 cents to close at $3.02 after an exchange of 138,267 stocks, ISP Finance rallied $4.49 and ended at $24.97 with a transfer of 5 units. Jamaican Teas fell 24 cents to $2.11 in switching ownership of 12,200 shares, 
Lasco Distributors climbed 40 cents to $4.20, with 142,173 stocks crossing the market, Lasco Financial lost 15 cents to close at $2.15 trading 2,136,543 stock units. Lasco Manufacturing popped 18 cents in closing at $4.99 after trading in 125,376 stock units, Limners and Bards dropped 10 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.90 with investors transferring 10,679 units, Main Event climbed $1.19 to end at $14.99 with 5,318 shares clearing the market. Medical Disposables dipped 9 cents in closing at $4.85 with an exchange of 924 stocks, MFS Capital Partners rallied 17 cents to close at $2.59 with shareholders swapping 337,399 stock units, Paramount Trading rose 28 cents to $1.90 after a transfer of 34,364 stocks. 
Spur Tree Spices popped 24 cents to end at $2.44 as investors exchanged 40,431 shares, Tropical Battery fell 9 cents to $2, with an exchange of 670,050 units and tTech shed 8 cents to close at $2.15, with investors exchanging 114 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Drop in JSE Main and USD markets
The Main and JSE US dollar markets declined at the close of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday while the Junior Market made a moderate recovery from Wednesday’s loss as the volume and value of stocks traded jumped sharply compared to Wednesday following trading of 113 million shares valued at $167 million in Transjamaican preference share.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index shed 2,140.83 points to end at 340,544.78, the All Jamaican Composite Index declined 4,924.76 points to 361,073.80, the JSE Main Index fell 2,534.77 points to close at 326,525.24, while the Junior Market Index climbed 24.51 points to close at 3,919.03 and the JSE USD Market Index slipped 5.29 points to finish at 247.99.
Preference shares with notable price changes include Eppley 7.50% preference share shedding 61 cents to end at $6, Jamaica Public Service 7% advancing $11.48 to $61.48, Productive Business 10.50% preference share declining $55 to $1,100 and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share popping $2.50 in closing at $101.50.
At the close, investors had dealings in 135,167,230 shares in all three markets, up sharply from 20,722,918 stocks on Wednesday. 
The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main Markets ended at $261.89 million, up from $80.9 million on Wednesday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 243,793 shares for US$38,581 compared with 174,417 units at US$27,278 on Wednesday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.8 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.6. times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. It shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Junior Market stocks dropped several points
The Junior Market stocks mostly declined at the start of trading in August with the market Index dropping a solid 45.48 points to conclude trading at 3,894.52 on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday, with a 74 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded valued 70 percent less than on Monday, with 44 securities trading compared with 45 on Monday and ended with 13 rising, 22 declining and nine closing unchanged.
Investors traded 6,437,192 shares for $16,154,901 versus 24,315,536 units at $54,444,749 on Monday.
Trading averaged 146,300 shares at $367,157 compared to 540,345 shares at $1,209,883 on Monday with the month to date, averaging 146,300 units at $367,157 compared with 326,541 stock units at $843,878 on the previous day. July closed with an average of 326,541 units at $843,878.
Lasco Financial led trading with 1.14 million shares for 17.8 percent of total volume, followed by Fosrich with 1.03 million units for 16.1 percent of the day’s trade and Regency Petroleum with 990,443 units for 15.4 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are calculated using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial increased 20 cents in closing at $25.50 as investors traded 2,038 shares, Blue Power declined 38 cents to $2.52 with a transfer of 2,018 stocks, CAC 2000 rallied 51 cents in ending at $5.61 after a transfer of 35 units, Cargo Handlers advanced 50 cents to close at $17.50, with 2,001 stock units crossing the market. Consolidated Bakeries climbed 15 cents to close at $2.75, with 472 units changing hands, Dolphin Cove popped 8 cents in closing at $16.98 after investors traded 675 shares, EduFocal rose 17 cents to $1.80 in an exchange of 34,281 stock units, Elite Diagnostic dropped 45 cents to close at $1.55 in switching ownership of 58,006 stocks. Fontana lost 17 cents to close at $10.80 with investors transferring 37,139 stock units, Image Plus Consultants gained 9 cents to end at $2.31 while exchanging 100,537 units, ISP Finance dropped $4.51 in closing at $20.48 with an exchange of one stock, 
JFP Ltd shed 25 cents to close at $1.70 with 103,045 shares clearing the market. Lasco Distributors fell 31 cents to close at $3.80 with 114,053 stock units crossing the market, Lumber Depot shed 25 cents to end at $2.05 after an exchange of 39,882 units, Main Event fell 70 cents and ended at $13.80 with 4,612 stocks being traded, Medical Disposables popped 84 cents in closing at $4.94 with stakeholders dealing in 39 shares. MFS Capital Partners dipped 16 cents to end at $2.42 after an exchange of 105,558 stocks, Paramount Trading lost 28 cents and ended at $1.62 while 7,318 stock units passed through the market, Regency Petroleum dropped 22 cents to close at $2.47, with an exchange of 990,443 units. Spur Tree Spices declined 27 cents to $2.20 in an exchange of 102,718 shares, 
Stationery and Office Supplies lost 56 cents to end at $2.59 with shareholders swapping 620,885 shares and Tropical Battery gained 17 cents in closing at $2.09 in trading 66,285 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Main Market and JSE stocks start August with gains
The Main and JSE US dollar markets gained at the close of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange to start the new month on a positive note on Tuesday, but the Junior Market suffered a tidy fall as the volume and value of stocks traded fell compared to that on Monday.
At the close, the JSE Combined Market Index jumped 2,060.70 points to 342,685.61, the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 809.52 points to 365,998.56, the JSE Main Index rallied 2,654.62 points to 329,060.01, while the Junior Market Index declined 45.48 points to 3,894.52 and the JSE USD Market Index rallied 8.29 points to finish at 253.28.
Trading of Preference shares ended with notable price changes for Productive Business 10.50% preference share increasing by $5 to $1,155, Jamaica Public Service 7% declining $2.02 to end at $50, 138 Student Living preference share advancing $1.98 to close at $99.98 and Productive Business Solutions 9.75% preference share dropped $2.50 to end at $99.
At the close, investors exchanged 20,722,918 shares in all three markets, down from 35,539,078 stocks on Monday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main Markets ended at $80.9 million, down from $139.59 million on Monday. 
Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors trading 174,417 shares for US$27,278, compared with 953,823 units at US$22,262 on Monday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.8 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.6.
times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. It shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.
Trading climbs for Junior Market
The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed out July on a positive note on Monday, driven by a 110 percent surge in the volume of stocks traded following a 72 percent jump in value over Friday, with trading in 45 securities compared with 42 on Friday and ended with prices of 24 rising, 12 declining and nine closing unchanged.
Investors traded 24,315,536 shares for $54,444,749 up from 11,568,133 units at $31,577,030 on Friday.
Trading averaged 540,345 shares at $1,209,883, compared with 275,432 shares at $751,834 on Friday, with the month to date averaging 326,541 units at $843,878 compared to 315,596 stock units at $825,141 on the previous trading day. June closed with an average of 319,230 units at $854,456.
Spur Tree Spices led trading with 7.30 million shares for 30 percent of total volume, followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 4.36 million units for 17.9 percent of the day’s trade, JFP Ltd chipped in with 4.06 million units for 16.7 percent market share, Lumber Depot closed with 2.63 million units for 10.8 percent market share and Dolla Financial ended with 2.02 million units for 8.3 percent of total volume.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 30.73 points to settle at 3,940.00.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are calculated using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial popped $2.50 to $25.30, with investors exchanging 89,609 shares, Blue Power increased 38 cents to end at $2.90 as investors traded 122 units, Cargo Handlers rallied 30 cents to $17 with a transfer of 1,000 stock units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dipped 9 cents to end at $2.90 after 24,617 stocks passed through the market. Caribbean Cream climbed 29 cents to close at $4.44 with shareholders swapping 2,737 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries declined 15 cents to $2.60 in an exchange of 10,055 units, Dolla Financial dropped 38 cents in closing at $2.50 after exchanging 2,016,744 stocks, EduFocal lost 17 cents to end at $1.63 in switching ownership of 63,909 shares. Everything Fresh 
rose 18 cents to close at $1.55 after investors traded 50,500 shares, Future Energy Source gained 9 cents and ended at $3.99 in trading 251,515 units, Honey Bun fell 80 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ closing low of $5.70, with 32,983 stocks clearing the market, Image Plus Consultants shed 12 cents in closing at $2.22 with 70,821 stock units crossing the exchange. Jamaican Teas advanced 15 cents and ended at $2.35 with an exchange of 179,913 stock units, JFP Ltd climbed 21 cents to $1.95 with 4,059,134 units changing hands, Knutsford Express advanced 94 cents to close at $11.90, with 46,155 stocks crossing the market, Lasco Distributors rose 12 cents to $4.11 while exchanging 55,572 shares. Lasco Financial shed 9 cents to close at $2.30 in an exchange of 5,999 stocks, Lumber Depot rallied 21 cents to end at $2.30 with investors transferring 2,629,305 shares, Medical Disposables increased 10 cents in closing at $4.10, after 1,423 units passed through the exchange, 
ONE on ONE Educational popped 8 cents in ending at $1.13 after a transfer of 4,359,129 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies popped 36 cents in closing at $3.15 after an exchange of 526,540 stock units, following the nine of one stock split taking effect on the exchange for the first time and Tropical Battery declined 19 cents to $1.92 and closed with 171,673 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Stocks closed out July with gains on JSE Markets
All three markets recorded gains at the close of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange to close out July on a positive note on Monday, with an increase in the volume of stocks traded but with a lower value than Friday.
At the end of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed 1,304.64 points to close at 340,624.91, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 5,102.37 points to end at 365,189.04, the JSE Main Index rallied 1,135.31 points to 326,405.39, while the Junior Market Index added 30.73 points to 3,940.00 and the JSE USD Market Index added 0.94 points to end at 244.99.
Trading of Preference shares with notable price changes are Productive Business 10.50% preference share with a fall of $100 in closing at $1150, Jamaica Public Service 7% losing $9.18 and ending at $52.02 and 138 Student Living preference share dropping $2 to $9.
At the close, investors exchanged 35,539,078 shares in all three markets, up sharply from 22,196,180 stocks on Friday. The value of stocks trading in the Junior and Main Markets ended at $139.59 million, down from $151.67 million on Friday. Trading on the JSE USD market ended with investors exchanging 953,823 shares for US$22,262, up from 394,211 units at US$7,160 on Friday.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to determine the value of stocks ended at 18.6 on 2022-23 earnings and 12.6.
times those for 2023-24 at the close of trading. ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the more detailed daily report charts provide investors with regularly updated information to help decision-making.
The PE ratio chart covers all ordinary shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange. It shows companies grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons between the same sector companies and the overall market. The EPS & PE ratios are based on 2023 and 2024 actual or projected earnings, excluding major one off items.
Investors need pertinent information to successfully navigate numerous investment options in the local 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.
Investors should use the chart to help make rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the average for the sector and 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 to assess the value of stocks based on this measure quickly. 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 pertaining to the highest bid and the lowest offer for each company.