Newly listed West Indies Petroleum climbed $1.05 to another record high $5.57, with trading in nearly a million shares, driving the PE of the stock to an unsustainable level of 111 times 2024 adjusted earnings and ended as the major driver of the Main Market index, continuing the 2025 rally. Trading closed Thursday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, resulting in the major indices of the Main Market rising, the Junior Market index declining and the JSE USD Market falling. At the end of trading, prices of 44 shares rose, 42 declined and 30 remained firm, following a fall in the volume of stocks traded, with an increase in value versus Wednesday.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index climbed by 2,349.41 points to end at 336,556.42, at the same time the All Jamaican Composite Index gained 4,267.41 points to end at 376,703.91, the JSE Main Index gained 2,754.03 points to close trading at 326,702.42,while the Junior Market Index shed 40.29 points to finish at 3,369.24 and the JSE USD Market Index slipped 0.90 points to end at 221.16.
At the close of trading, 30,783,086 shares were exchanged in all three markets, down from 130,633,092 units on Wednesday, with the value of stocks traded on the Junior and Main markets amounted to $273.92 million, up from $139.49 million on the previous day and the JSE USD market closed with an exchange of 226,379 shares for US$16,867 compared to 581,330 units at US$834,878 on Wednesday.
In Main Market activity, Supreme Ventures led with 11.46 million shares followed by Transjamaican Highway with 3.50 million stocks and Innovative Energy with 2.38 million units.
In Junior Market trading, Kintyre Holdings led with 4.18 million shares followed by EduFocal with 1.11 million stocks and Future Energy with 513,086 units.
In the preference segment, Eppley 7.75% preference share fell $3.17 to end at $18, Jamaica Public Service 7% dipped $3.72 to $40, 138 Student Living preference share sank $25.25 and ended at $190, Sygnus Credit Investments 10% increased $4 in closing at $110 and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% skidded $1.95 to finish at $102.
The market’s PE ratio, the most popular measure used to value stocks, ended at 13.9 compiled from 2026-27 earnings and 15.2 based on 2024 earnings, which excludes major one time 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 ordinary shares listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange, grouped by industry, allowing for easy comparisons within a sector and the overall market.
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 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.