Robust gains in several large blue chip stocks pushed the major indices of the Main Market skywards at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday, while the Junior Market index slipped moderately and the JSE USD Market rose. The volume of stocks traded more than doubled, at a value greater than on Thursday. When the dust settled, prices of 38 shares rose, 41 declined and 24 remained firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed 3,416.24 points to 322,761.35, the All Jamaican Composite Index jumped 4,150.91 points to close at 360,441.42, the JSE Main Index rallied sharply higher by 3,595.20 points to 313,035.52, the Junior Market Index dipped by just 3.38 points to 3,268.67 and the JSE USD Market Index increased 1.38 points to 207.68.
At the close of trading, 23,173,452 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up 121 percent from 10,480,379 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets rising to $90.71 million, up from $74.52 million on the previous day. The JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 164,203 shares for US$10,792 compared to 197,386 units at US$7,857 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led with 8.86 million shares, followed by Wigton Energy with 3.18 million stocks and QWI Investments with 2.25 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Kintyre Holdings continues to lead with 1.21 million shares, after doing so continually since last week, followed by Paramount Trading with 750,000 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies with 650,000 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share increased $1.39 and ended at $19 and 138 Student Living preference share dropped $50 to $200.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.8 based on 2025-26 earnings and 2024 historical earnings of 14.8. Earnings exclude one off income or expense.
The 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 the ordinary shares listed on Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons within a sector or the overall market.
Pertinent data is needed to navigate the various options in the stock market. The PE chart should be used to help in making rational decisions when investing in stocks close to the sector average, not straying too far from it unless there are compelling reasons to do so. This approach helps remove emotions from investment decisions and places them on fundamentals, while staying close to the majority of investors. Investors who buy stocks when prices are 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 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.