Winning stocks beat losers at the close of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday, with prices of 42 shares climbing, 36 declining and 33 remaining firm, resulting in the Main Market and the Junior Market indices rising and the JSE USD Market falling. Trading ended with a huge rise in the volume of stocks exchanged, at more than twice the value passing through the market on Wednesday, as nearly 77 million US dollar shares of Transjamaican Highway crossed the market.
At the end of trading, the JSE Combined Market Index rallied 2,156.24 points to 331,718.90, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose by 1,881.59 points to close at 369,284.68, the JSE Main Index rallied 2,174.51 points to settle at 320,959.73, as the Junior Market Index increased by 10.94 points to 3,464.37 and the JSE USD Market Index dropped 5.29 points to finish at 208.42.
At the close of trading, 94,410,862 shares were exchanged in all three markets, up from just 9,136,240 units on Wednesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $107.96 million, up from $42.64 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 76,914,195 shares for US$1,740,363 compared to 371,175 units at US$159,855 on Wednesday.
In Main Market activity, Wigton Energy led with 4.67 million shares, followed by Jamaica Producers with 2.91 million stock units and Transjamaican Highway with 1.92 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Jamaican Teas led with 818,154 shares, followed by RA Williams with 510,000 stocks and MFS Capital Partners with 455,069 units.
In the preference segment, 138 Student Living preference share rose $20.37 to $224 and Sygnus Credit Investments 10% gained $2.10 to close at $103.
The market’s PE ratio, a popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.8 based on 2024-25 earnings and 16.2 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 ordinary shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, which are grouped by industry 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.