Trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Thursday, with the market declining after falling stocks far outnumbered rising ones two to one as investors exchanged 35 percent fewer shares than on Wednesday, with a 28 percent fall in value.
The Junior Market Index steadily moving higher
In the end, 33 stocks traded, down from 36 on Wednesday with nine stocks rising, 19 declining and five remaining unchanged.
The Junior Market Index fell 14.42 points the first decline in seven trading days as the market settle at 2,972.19.
The average PE Ratio ended at 16.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 7,850,128 shares for $26,568,082, in contrast to 12,160,533 stock units at $36,790,003 on Wednesday. Lasco Distributors led trading with 19.8 percent of total volume as 1.55 million shares changed hands, followed by Lumber Depot 16.4 percent with 1.29 million units and Limners and Bards traded 824,921 units for 10.5 percent market share.
Trading averaged 237,883 units at $805,093, a fall from 337,793 at $1,021,945 on Wednesday.
The Month to date average trade was 258,747 shares at $759,436, compared to 259,825 units at $757,078 on Wednesday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Producers rose 8 cents to $3.38 with investors swapping 730,312 shares, Consolidated Bakeries dropped 15 cents to $1.40 with an exchange of 100,000 stocks, Dolphin Cove shed 55 cents to end at $8.45, with 2,652 units changing hands. Fosrich gained 5 cents to close at $5.40, with the transfer of 76,249 stock units, iCreate slipped 5 cents to 76 cents, trading 5,786 shares, Indies Pharma fell 65 cents to $3.80 with 457,414 stocks passing through the market. Jetcon Corporation rose 7 cents to close at 77 cents while exchanging 17,831 units, Lasco Financial rose 5 cents to settle at $2.69 with an exchange of 123,700 shares, Lasco Manufacturing advanced 18 cents to $4.59 with 517,865 stocks changing hands. 
Limners and Bards lost 5 cents to finish at $2.70 with a transfer of 824,921 units, Mailpac Group rose 6 cents to $3.45 with 617,187 shares traded, Main Event shed 32 cents to settle at $3.15 with 152,969 stocks passing through the market.Medical Disposables jumped 58 cents to $4.73 with a transfer of 270 units and Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 27 cents to $5.30 with 4,150 shares crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% gained 15 cents to close at $1.30 with 400 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
JSE USD Equity Index gained 2.48 points to end at 204.13. The average PE Ratio ends at 13.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Sterling Investments advanced 0.01 of a cent to end at 1.99 US cents while exchanging 10,733 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments rose 0.2 of a cent to end at 14.2 US cents in an exchange of 15,433 stocks and Transjamaican Highway ended at 0.96 US cents in an exchange of 53,000 shares.
JMMB Group dipped 1 cent to $1.82 after 6,010 stocks crossed the market, Massy Holdings shed 15 cents to close at $63.75 with an exchange of 3,108 stocks, National Enterprises ended at $2.95 with the swapping of 2,000 shares. National Flour Mills ended at $2.15 with 4,600 stocks changing hands, One Caribbean Media ended at $4.60 in exchanging 3,000 stocks, Republic Financial Holdings had an exchange of 119,234 stocks units at $131.75. Scotiabank traded 6,920 units at $55, Trinidad & Tobago NGL settled at $14.99 in trading 3,952 stocks, Trinidad Cement closed at $3, with 1,432 units crossing the exchange and West Indian Tobacco ended at $32.51 while exchanging 980 stocks.
The issue comprises 300 million new shares with 200 million to be sold by existing shareholders at 80 cents each. If successful, the total issued shares will be 2.5 billion, with the shares slated to list on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
The top three volume leaders saw transfers of over one million units, collectively accounting for 64 percent of the day’s trade. Lumber Depot led trading with 33.3 percent of total volume or 4.04 million shares, followed by Fosrich with 17.9 percent of the day’s trade for 2.18 million units for and GWest 13 percent, with an exchange of 1.58 million stocks.
February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Jetcon Corporation fell 8 cents to 70 cents with 75,350 stocks traded, Lasco Manufacturing lost 8 cents to end at $4.41 with 32,473 units passing through the market, Limners and Bards rose 5 cents to $2.75 with a transfer of 398,797 shares. Lumber Depot fell 14 cents to $2.36 with 4,043,628 stocks passing through the market, Main Event climbed 35 cents to $3.47 with a transfer of 21,350 stock units and tTech dropped 28 cents to $4.42 with 19,083 shares crossing the exchange.
The All Jamaican Composite Index advanced 1,009.51 points to 430,742.20, the Main Index rose 966.73 points to 392,671.43 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.38 points to settle at 98.73.
February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
NCB Financial declined $1.99 to $138.01 with 38,583 stock units changing hands, 138 Student Living dropped $1.38 to $5.50 in trading 1,050 units, PanJam Investment rose $1.31 to $65.01 with the swapping of 1,097,749 shares, Sagicor Group declined $2 to $48 in trading 60,966 stock units. Salada Foods fell $1.49 to $43 in exchanging 21,731 units, Seprod advanced $2 to $72 in switching ownership of 28,284 shares and Supreme Ventures lost 22 cents to close at $15.28 with 139,631 stocks changing hands.
At the close, 1,709,808 shares traded, for US$372,565 compared to 216,610 units at US$36,569 on Tuesday.
Sterling Investments dipped 0.01 cent to 1.98 US cents swapping 3,000 units, Sygnus Credit Investments ended at 14 US cents trading 40,000 units and Transjamaican Highway carved out a gain of 0.07 cents to close at 0.96 US cents in an exchange of 322,789 units.
National Enterprises dropped 5 cents in closing at 52 weeks’ low of $2.95 after exchanging 14,390 stock units. National Flour Mills ended at $2.15 trading 400 units, One Caribbean Media traded 5,000 stock units at $4.60, Prestige Holdings ended at $7.50, with 501 stock units crossing the market. Republic Financial Holdings climbed 25 cents to $131.75, with 60,286 stocks crossing the market, Scotiabank lost 21 cents to end at $55 after closing trading 2,503 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL shed 1 cent to close at $14.99, with 42,430 stocks changing hands. Trinidad Cement shed 24 cents in ending at $3, with 1,068 stock units clearing the market, Unilever Caribbean carved out a gain of 20 cents at $16.20 with an exchange of 1,001 stocks and West Indian Tobacco ended at $32.51 trading 1,435 shares.
Stopover arrivals from the United States fell 73 percent in January 2021, with 38,500 arrivals than the 143,460 arrivals in January 2020, with all US marketing regions recording decreases. Arrivals from the Canadian market dipped 93 percent, with just 3,274, down 42,608 from 45,922 visitors in January 2020. Visitor arrivals from the Caribbean region were down 79.5 percent to 1,070 compared to 5,217 in January 2019, while Latin American arrivals fell 89 percent with 565 stopovers compared to 5,219 in January 2020. Just a sprinkling of arrivals came from the United Kingdom and Europe in 2021.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 2,156.19 points to 429,732.69, the JSE Main Index declined 1,972.46 points to 391,704.70 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.57 points to 98.35.
Trading for the day averaged 207,074 units at $2,031,388, compared to 167,329 shares at $989,767 on Monday. Trading month to date averaged 241,646 units at $2,141,408, in contrast to 244,001 units at $ 2,148,902 on Monday. February closed with an average of 419,015 units at $2,509,660.
Mayberry Investments closed 46 cents higher at $5.63 in switching ownership of 2,770 stocks, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy rose $1 to close at $140 after clearing the market with 500 stock units. NCB Financial lost $2 in closing at $140 with the trading of 43,359 units, Palace Amusement climbed $29 to $699 after exchanging 52 shares, PanJam Investment shed 30 cents to settle at $63.70 with 1,670 units changing hands and Seprod fell $1.05 to $70 in an exchange of 32,241 shares.
