The market closed on Friday, with the volume of stocks traded declining by 33 percent and the value slipping 29 percent from Thursday outcome, after 34 securities traded, similar to Thursday, with prices of 12 rising, 10 falling and 12 closing unchanged leading the Market Index to spike 14.49 points to close at 3,322.77 on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
The market that closed at 3,370.59 points in June, tried to build on it during July, moving up to 3,421.90 points in Mid-month, failed to hang on to the gains and end up closing below the June close. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.2 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Trading ended with 2,153,858 shares changing hands for $7,010,164 compared to 3,204,788 units at $9,817,160 on Thursday.
Future Energy Source led trading with 26.2 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 563,890 shares, Jamaican Teas followed with 21.5 percent, for 462,064 units and Tropical Battery 11.2 percent with an exchange of 240,306 units.
Trading averaged 63,349 units at $206,181 in contrast to 94,258 at $288,740 on Thursday. Month to date, trading averages 163,918 units at $481,755, versus 168,538 units at $494,416 on Thursday. June closed with an average of 225,705 units at $644,459.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial jumped 85 cents to $21.49 with an exchange of 548 shares, AMG Packaging advanced 15 cents to $1.65 with 4,855 stocks changing hands, Blue Power fell 32 cents to $3.26 with 10,603 stock units traded. Caribbean Flavours gained 9 cents to close at $2.07, with 2,512 units passing through the market, Elite Diagnostic slipped 5 cents to $3.10 with a transfer of 482 shares, Future Energy Source lost 12 cents to finish at $1.38 with an exchange of 563,890 stocks. 
GWest Corporation declined by 5 cents to 94 cents with 10,000 units changing hands, Lasco Distributors dropped 16 cents to $4.04 with 1,222 stock units traded, Lumber Depot fell 10 cents to $3.30, with 15,040 shares passing through the market. Main Event climbed 43 cents to $4.79 with a transfer of 13,551 units, Medical Disposable jumped 46 cents to $4.99 with investors switching ownership of 13,999 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies shed $1.49 to close at $5.76 with 13,525 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The All Jamaican Composite Index fell 2,057.62 points to end at 461,426.03, the JSE Main Index fell 2,288.15 points to 421,846.86 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.74 points to 103.74. 
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has ten stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
PanJam Investment shed $1 to close at $64 in trading 3,648 stocks, Pulse Investments fell 20 cents to $3.80 with 20,645 shares clearing the market. Sagicor Group shed $2 to settle at $56 with 71,600 stocks changing hands, Scotia Group fell $1 to $41 after crossing the exchange with 9,844 units, Stanley Motta shed 45 cents at $5.30 with a transfer of 38,239 stocks, Supreme Ventures popped 20 cents to $20.20 in trading 27,025 units and Sygnus Credit Investments lost 28 cents to close at $14.22 in switching ownership of 30,162 stocks.
At the close, 18 securities traded compared to 15 on Thursday, with an equal number of six rising, declining and remaining unchanged. The Composite Index dipped 3.14 points to 1,417.48, the All T&T Index shed 0.19 points to 1,929.85 to close out July with a modest gain over just over one percent for the month, leading to a rise of 8.9 percent year to date. The Cross-Listed Index slipped 0.88 points to settle at 121.81.
GraceKennedy closed at $6.15 in switching ownership of 223 units, Guardian Holdings fell $1.25 in ending at $32.50 after trading 30,221 units, JMMB Group inched 1 cent higher to $2.03, with 21,440 stock units changing hands. L.J. Williams B share ended at $1.50 with an exchange of 7 stock units, Massy Holdings spiked 40 cents to $80.50 in switching ownership of 49 stocks, National Enterprises advanced 5 cents to $3.90 after 21,504 shares changed hands. National Flour Mills closed at $2 with the swapping of 500 stock units. NCB Financial Group declined 15 cents to $8 after exchanging 10,000 units. Republic Financial Holdings slipped 5 cents to $135.50, with 674 stock units crossing the market. Scotiabank settled at $59 after exchanging 30,329 stock units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL dipped 2 cents to $17.50, finishing, with 29,082 units changing hands, Unilever Caribbean ended at $16.33 while exchanging 15,605 stocks and West Indian Tobacco dropped 49 cents $32 after 16,389 stock units crossed the exchange.
A total of 34 securities traded on Thursday, up from 33 on Wednesday and ended with the prices of 11 stocks rising, 13 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Knutsford Express spiked 49 cents to $7.69 with 240 shares changing hands. Lasco Distributors spiked 39 cents to $4.20 with a transfer of 180,263 units, as investors responded positively to the company’s first quarter results that saw profit rising by 58 percent. Lasco Manufacturing gained 5 cents to close at $5.25 with 79,177 stocks traded, Lumber Depot rose 5 cents to $3.40 with investors switching ownership of 382,752 stock units, Main Event dropped 94 cents to $4.36, with 3,170 units changing hands and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 10 cents to $7.25 with 13,696 shares crossing the exchange.
The All Jamaican Composite Index added just 48.11 points to end at 460,076.56, the JSE Main Index shed 405.69 points to finish at 420,886.99 and the JSE Financial Index slipped 0.23 points to 103.72. 
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading has nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Sagicor Group declined $1 to $55 with 57,606 stock units crossing the market, Scotia Group spiked 50 cents to $41.50 with 446 units clearing the market and Supreme Ventures shed 50 cents at $20 in switching ownership of 10,621 stocks.
Trading ended with five securities changing hands, up from four on Wednesday, with the prices of two rising, two declining and one remaining unchanged. The JSE USD Equity Index added 1.24 points to end at 186.73.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending, with the bid higher than the last selling price and three, with lower offers.
Profit before tax for the half year was up 20.4 percent to $5.4 billion, reflecting an improvement over the $2.5 billion in 2020 and climbed 15.6 percent to $2.9 billion for the quarter from $2.5 billion in 2020.
At the close, 15 securities traded compared to 16 on Wednesday, with four rising, seven declining and four remaining unchanged. The Composite Index shed 2.07 points to 1,420.62, the All T&T Index rose 2.01 points to 1,930.04, and the Cross-Listed Index shed 0.90 points to settle at 122.69.
NCB Financial Group dropped 4 cents to $8.15 in an exchange of 230 shares, Prestige Holdings remained at $7.50, with 1,550 stocks crossing the exchange, Republic Financial Holdings advanced 4 cents to $135.55, trading 73 stock units. Scotiabank rose 45 cents to $59, with 232 units clearing the market, Trinidad & Tobago NGL shed 3 cents to $17.52 in switching ownership of 3,000 shares, Unilever Caribbean closed at $16.33 with the swapping of 500 units and West Indian Tobacco traded 769 stock units at $32.49.
The second quarter revenues growth beats the 31 percent rise in the first quarter as well as exceeding by 6.4 percent the $5.97 billion in the first quarter.
June ended with an average of 249,610 units at $3,877,606.
NCB Financial Group rose 50 cents to $142 with 8,605 stocks clearing the market, Palace Amusement shed $1 to end at $1,020 in transferring 67 units, Scotia Group popped $2.01 to $41 after 325,790 stock units crossed the exchange and Supreme Ventures advanced $1.25 to $20.50, with 708,931 shares changing hands.
