All three Jamaica Stock Exchange markets closed lower on Tuesday following a sharp rise in the volume and value of stocks exchanged by investors than Monday. Trading ended with prices of 32 shares rising, 46 declining and 26 remaining firm, resulting in all the major indices falling.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index shed 1,428.90 points to end at 330,327.62, the All Jamaican Composite Index fell 4,800.03 points to 366,344.01, the JSE Main Index sank 1,305.56 points to 320,169.29, the Junior Market Index declined by 25.02 points to 3,376.94 and the JSE USD Market Index dipped 1.52 points to end at 246.98.
At the close of trading, 37,662,619 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from 20,796,375 units on Monday. The value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $193.36 million, up from $75.45 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 206,661 shares for US$67,749 compared to 95,221 units at US$2,806 on Monday.
In Main Market activity, Transjamaican Highway led with 13.28 million shares, followed by Wigton Energy with 6.43 million stocks and JMMB Group 10% preferred shares with 4.97 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Kintyre Holdings led with 3.10 million shares, followed by Regency Petroleum with 1.17 million stock units and EduFocal with 856,485 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share lost $2.40 and ended at $18, Jamaica Public Service 7% advanced $3.50 to $39 and 138 Student Living preference share popped $35 to end at $241.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used in valuing stocks, ended at 12.4 based on 2024-5 earnings and 19.7 based on 2024 earnings. The ICInsider.com PE ratio chart and the other more detailed charts that are published daily provide investors with regularly updated information to help in the decision-making process.
The PE ratio chart covers all of the ordinary shares that are listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange and 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 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 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.