Gains in Main Market and Junior Market stocks lifted the major indices of these markets on the Jamaica Stock Exchange at the close on Wednesday with a fall in the volume of stocks traded, with a moderately lower value than on Tuesday, resulting in prices of 40 shares rising, 35 declining and 37 remaining firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index rallied 1,190.87 points to 344,665.45, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 834.58 points to end at 384,339.46, the JSE Main Index increased 1,088.61 points to settle at 332,660.43, the Junior Market Index popped 20.90 points to 3,702.51 and the JSE USD Market Index dipped 0.34 points to settle at 236.23.
At the close of trading, 49,116,983 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 77,472,464 units on Tuesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $215.88 million, down from moderately from $221.78 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 331,937 shares for US$18,427 up from 42,535 units at US$5,597 on Tuesday.
In Main Market activity, JMMB Group 7.25% preference share due 2024 led trading with 4.0 million shares followed by Transjamaican Highway with 3.84 million stocks and Wigton Energy with 2.16 million units.
In Junior Market trading, ONE on ONE Educational led with 16.73 million shares followed by Lasco Financial with 4.27 million stocks and Indies Pharma with 1.66 million units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% skidded $1.95 and ended at $42, 138 Student Living preference share rose $49.50 to $288, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share advanced $44.99 to finish at $1,100 and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% popped $2.20 to end at $104.The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 14 based on 2024-25 earnings and 20.2 based on 2023-24 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 that are listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, and are grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons within a sector and the overall market. The earnings per share (EPS) and 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 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 to assess 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.