Trading activity closed out March on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, with five stocks hitting 52 weeks’ closing highs, one ending at a 52 weeks’ closing low and one with an intraday 52 weeks’ low, following a 75 percent jump in the volume of stocks traded, valued 134 percent more than on Friday following trading in 46 securities, similar to Friday. Trading ended with prices of 21 stocks rising, 15 declining and 10 closing unchanged, resulting in the market index climbing to close the first quarter of the year down 1.6 percent.
Fosrich, Gwest Corporation, Indies Pharma, Jamaican Teas as well as Regency Petroleum all closed at 52 weeks’ highs. ISP Finance ended at a 52 weeks’ closing low and Paramount Trading hit a 52 weeks’ intraday low of 80 cents.
The market closed with trading of 20,549,503 shares for $46,764,453, up sharply from 11,738,756 stock units at $19,977,567 on Friday.
Trading averaged 446,728 shares at $1,016,619, well above the 255,190 stocks exchanged at $434,295 on Friday, with the month to date, averaging 307,021 units at $759,432 in line with 299,183 stock units at $745,004 on the previous day and February with an average of 246,071 shares at $454,487.
Future Energy led trading with 4.0 million shares for 19.5 percent of total volume followed by ONE on ONE Educational which ended with 2.89 million stocks for 14.1 percent of the day’s trade, Derrimon Trading closed with 2.73 million stocks for 13.3 percent of the volume traded, Mailpac Group with 1.52 million units for 7.4 percent of the stocks that were traded, Indies Pharma with 1.23 million units for 6 percent of the total volume and Regency Petroleum with 1.19 million units for 5.8 percent of market share.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index rose by a solid 70.39 points to close at 3,673.94. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.9, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for financial years ending around August 2025.
At the close of the market, Access Financial sank 15 cents to close at $16.40 as investors exchanged 8,662 shares, AMG Packaging slipped 38 cents to $2.72 with 49,955 stocks crossing the market, Caribbean Flavours fell 5 cents to end at $1.24 in switching ownership of 7,246 units. Dolla Financial rose 5 cents to $2.65 with investors swapping 365,802 shares, Dolphin Cove declined $1.38 to finish at $16.11 in an exchange of 5,826 stocks. Fontana advanced 6 cents and ended at $9.49, with investors trading 155,159 units. Fosrich popped 35 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $2.80 after an exchange of 725,890 shares, Future Energy rallied 10 cents and ended at $3.30 after trading of 3,997,895 stocks, GWest Corporation increased 15 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.24 with 39,183 units clearing the market. Honey Bun lost 10 cents in closing at $7.90 with traders dealing in 33,358 shares, 
Image Plus climbed 8 cents to finish at $1.21 after an exchange of 1,051,220 stocks, Indies Pharma gained 34 cents to end at a 52 weeks. High of $4.17 with investors trading 1,227,483 units. ISP Finance skidded $1.03 to a 52 weeks’ low of $15 in an exchange of 2,931 shares, Jamaican Teas popped 26 cents and ended at $2.79 with investors dealing in 438,694 stocks, Jetcon Corporation climbed 14 cents in closing at $1.15 with a transfer of 60,853 units. Knutsford Express rose 69 cents to finish at $14.49 with 9,888 shares crossing the exchange, Limners and Bards rallied 5 cents to end at $1.19 after a transfer of 1,100 stocks, Mailpac Group increased 19 cents to close at $2.50 after closing with an exchange of 1,519,761 shares. Medical Disposables sank 13 cents to $1.75 with an exchange of 6,774 shares, Omni Industries advanced 11 cents and ended at $1.02 after 48,288 stocks passed through the market, Regency Petroleum gained 25 cents to close at $3.60 with 1,194,355 units changing hands and Tropical Battery dipped 10 cents to end at $2.40 in trading 5,219 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.