The volume and value of stocks trading slipped modestly to close out market activity on Friday, from Thursday’s levels to close out another week with the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange falling over 58 points below the previous week’s close.
Market activity led to 33 stocks trading own from 36 on Thursday and ended, with 14 rising, 12 declining and seven closing unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dipped 9.07 points to settle at 3,189.83.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 12.1 based on ICInsider.com’s earnings forecast for 2021-22.
Trading of 5,586,599 shares resulted in an exchange of $16,747,890 compared to 6,813,063 units at $17,345,293 on Thursday. Lumber Depot led trading with 29.8 percent of total volume after an exchange of 1.67 million shares, followed by Future Energy Source 11.9 percent, with 666,129 units and Caribbean Flavours 9.9 percent, with 554,064 shares.
Trading averaged 169,291 units at $507,512 versus 189,252 shares at $481,814 on Thursday and month to date an average of 203,845 units at $593,106, compared to 205,687 units at $597,669 on Thursday. August closed with an average of 464,471 units at $1,258,652.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial fell 25 cents to $18.75 in exchanging 1,100 shares, AMG Packaging popped 21 cents to $2.01, with 297,747 stock units crossing the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dropped 13 cents to $1.66 in an exchange of 21,335 units. Caribbean Cream climbed 30 cents to end at $6.60 with the swapping of 51,785 stocks, Caribbean Flavours rose 6 cents to $1.90, with 554,064 shares clearing the market, Elite Diagnostic shed 7 cents to $2.95, after 28,016 units crossed the market. Everything Fresh rose 11 cents to 97 cents in trading 44,082 stocks, Express Catering rallied 80 cents to $5.20 after exchanging 174,433 stock units, Fontana gained 35 cents to end at $6.60 trading 60,007 stocks. GWest Corporation popped 10 cents to 95 cents while trading 1,200 shares, Honey Bun spiked 29 cents to close at $7.90 with an exchange of 302,351 units, Indies Pharma advanced 19 cents to $3.39 in trading 21,865 stock units. Jamaican Teas lost 18 cents in closing at $3.52, trading 146,265 stock units, Jetcon Corporation spiked 22 cents to $1.27, with 337,712 stocks changing hands, Lasco Financial popped 17 cents to $3.15, in exchanging 20,014 shares. 
Lasco Manufacturing declined 32 cents to $4.51, with 32,907 units crossing the exchange, Lumber Depot climbed 19 cents to close at $2.99, after exchanging 1,666,179 stocks, Mailpac Group dropped 11 cents in closing at $3.54 in an exchange of 284,989 units. Main Event declined 57 cents to $3.63, with 45,098 stock units clearing the market, SSL Venture popped 6 cents to end at 69 cents in switching ownership of 997 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies shed 14 cents to end at $5.76, with 2,582 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The most recent offer of CDs on Wednesday, September 22, fetched an average interest rate of 2.15 percent, with the highest rate of a successful bid being 2.99 percent and the lowest 1.75 percent. These rates are up from the previous auction, earlier in the month.
At the beginning of August, when the total amount of CDs was $35 billion, BOJ offered just $8 billion into the market and resulted in bids of $20.22 billion and resulted in an average interest rate of 0.59 percent, with the highest successful bid ending with a yield of just 0.62 percent, just higher than the banks overnight rate of 0.50 percent.
Trading ended with six securities changing hands, compared to eight on Wednesday with no stocks rising, one declining and five ending unchanged. The US Denominated Equities Index fell 0.55 points to end at 184.54.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows no stock ending with a higher bid than its last selling price and one with a lower offer.
The All Jamaican Composite Index slipped 295.03 points to 442,620.85, the Main Index fell 101.04 points to 403,090.52 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.06 points to end at 98.44.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with higher bids than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Mayberry Investments lost 20 cents to end at $5.50 in exchanging 301,484 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities fell 55 cents to $8.20 in exchanging 794 units, NCB Financial Group rose $1.49 to $129.49 in trading 179,455 stocks. Palace Amusement rallied $8 to $910 with a transfer of 236 stock units, PanJam Investment popped $1.78 to end at $63.78 with 931,362 shares crossing the market, Scotia Group declined $1 to $39 after dropping to a 52 weeks’ low of $37 in 69,473 units changing hands and Wisynco Group rose 21 cents to $16 in an exchange of 65,458 stocks.
Similar to Wednesday 36 stocks traded ending with 15 rising, 13 declining, with eight unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing increased 32 cents to $4.83 after exchanging 10,148 shares, Lumber Depot shed 14 cents to $2.80, with 1,021,891 stock units changing hands, Mailpac Group climbed 10 cents to $3.65 in an exchange of 110,396 stocks. Paramount Trading advanced 5 cents in closing at $1.10 after exchanging 20,075 units, SSL Venture fell 11 cents to close at 63 cents with an exchange of 907,939 shares and Tropical Battery popped 7 cents to $1.34 in exchanging 51,488 stock units.
Closing prices are flashing signs of a near term rally, with stocks closing with bids higher than last selling prices outpacing those with lower offers, while some prices are sitting at 52 weeks’ highs.
At the close, Agostini’s rallied 15 cents to $24.55, with 4,835 shares clearing the market, Ansa McAl spiked 79 cents to $57.80 after 2,015 stock units crossed the market, Ansa Merchant Bank rose $1.09 to end at $41.50 while exchanging 124 units. Calypso Macro Investment Fund fell 30 cents to $16.20 with 80 stocks changing hands, Clico Investment Fund remained at $26.57 with the swapping of 10,540 units, First Citizens Bank popped 1 cent to $50.51 in exchanging 1,000 shares. GraceKennedy spiked 5 cents to end at $6.30 with an exchange of 3,128 stock units, Guardian Holdings dropped 20 cents after finishing at $32.75 in trading 1,000 stocks, JMMB Group remained at $2.20 in an exchange of 1,585 units. Massy Holdings shed 1 cent to close at $82 after exchanging 46 stocks, National Flour Mills finished at $1.90 in exchanging 1,000 shares, One Caribbean Media closed at $4.30 after the trading of 260 stock units. Republic Financial Holdings spiked $3.05 to $138.50 in switching ownership of 450 stock units and Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost 26 cents in closing at $16.75, with 6,506 shares changing hands.
The All Jamaican Composite Index dropped 1,575.15 points to 442,915.88, the Main Index shed 1,499.07 points to 403,191.56 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.14 points to end at 98.50.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 11 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Scotia Group popped 45 cents to $40 with an exchange of 90,230 units, Seprod lost 35 cents to close at $63.65, with 291,051 stock units clearing the market, Supreme Ventures rose 85 cents in closing at $18.85 after switching ownership of 115,950 units and Sygnus Credit Investments gained 38 cents in ending at $15.88 and exchanging 38,335 stocks.
Overall, 901,226 shares changed hands for US$72,066 up from 110,662 units at US$11,208 on Tuesday.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than its last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
The volume of stocks traded on Wednesday declined by 44 percent and the value 46 percent from Tuesday’s levels, with 6,071,422 shares traded for $19,121,644, down from 10,904,334 units at $35,164,246 on Tuesday. Future Energy Source led trading after taking 43.3 percent of the volume with 2.63 million shares, followed by Caribbean Flavours 9.6 percent, with 585,245 units and Derrimon Trading with 424,600 units for 7 percent market share.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Limners and Bards shed 20 cents to $3.45 in trading 196,098 units, Mailpac Group fell 13 cents to $3.55 after exchanging 181,170 stocks, Medical Disposables shed 50 cents to close at $4.50 after 88,417 stock units crossed the market. Paramount Trading declined 5 cents to $1.05 in switching ownership of 3,925 shares, SSL Venture gained 10 cents to end at 74 cents after exchanging 23,154 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 88 cents in closing at $5.90, with 3,282 stock units changing hands.
Guardian Media rallied 36 cents to $3, with 155 stock units changing hands, JMMB Group dropped 2 cents to $2.20 after exchanging 500 shares, L.J Williams B share remained at $1.50 in switching ownership of 50 stocks. Massy Holdings shed 9 cents to $82.01 with 371,891 stock units clearing the market, National Enterprises ended at $3.25 after trading 976 units, National Flour Mills remained at $1.90 with an exchange of 5,948 shares. NCB Financial Group declined 11 cents to $8.06, with 8,000 stocks crossing the market, One Caribbean Media closed to $135.45 after trading 424 units. Scotiabank fell $1.20 to $59.80 with the swapping of 4,066 shares, Trinidad & Tobago NGL remained at $17.01 after exchanging 8,000 stocks, Trinidad Cement traded 550 shares at $4 and West Indian Tobacco closed at $30.99 in trading 10,730 stocks.
