Trading was up sharply on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday, with a major rise in the volume of stocks exchanged, with the value almost doubling Thursday’s trading. The Main and Junior Market primary indices rose and the JSE USD Market declined at the end of trading, with prices of 43 shares rising, 33 declining and 29 remaining firm.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index rallied 1,424.26 points to 323,478.14, the All Jamaican Composite Index popped 1,819.67 points to close at 361,144.30, the JSE Main Index gained 1,349.94 points to wrap up trading at 312,696.64, the Junior Market Index rallied 18.56 points to finish at 3,415.99 and the JSE USD Market Index dipped 2.95 points to finish at 198.95.
At the close of trading, 34,228,219 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from 28,990,936 units on Thursday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $215.99 million, up from $111.82 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 3,634,466 shares for US$308,861 compared to a mere 161,171 units at US$16,786 on Thursday.
In Main Market activity, Sagicor Select Financial Fund led with 3.77 million shares, Sterling Investments, followed with 2.25 million stocks and Wigton Energy with 2.22 million units.
In Junior Market trading, ONE on ONE Educational led with 5.23 million shares, followed by Stationery and Office Supplies with 2.33 million stocks and Jamaican Teas with 1.92 million units.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share rose $28.50 and ended at $219, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% lost $10 to $1,130, Sygnus Credit Investments 10% gained $6.69 in closing at $110 and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% popped $9.51 to close at $110.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.8 based on 2024-25 earnings and 16.3 based on 2024 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 listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, 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.