After four consecutive days of increases, the Junior Market index finally gave way on Wednesday but not without a move higher in the morning session. Trading ended with the majority of stocks rising after an exchange of 47 percent fewer shares with a 50 percent fall in the consideration, compared to Tuesday.
Trading ended with 31 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 15 stocks rising, seven declining and nine remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 16.98 points to 2,504.35after it traded as high as 2,546,04 points after 41 minutes of trading. The average PE Ratio ended at 13.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 3,050,027 shares for $6,670,693 compared to 6,501,187 units at $15,100,161 on Tuesday. Jamaican Teas led trading with 32.8 percent of total volume, after a transfer of 1.0 million shares followed by Mailpac Group with 24.9 percent for 759,011 units and Lumber Depot with 12 percent market share amounting to 365,322 units.
Trading averaged 98,388 units at $215,184, in contrast to 185,748 at $431,433 on Tuesday. The month to date trading averaged 144,715 units at $329,861. November ended with an average of 193,331 units at $566,885.
At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the market’s close, Access Financial gained 58 cents to end at $20.50, in trading 15,827 stock units, Caribbean Cream gained 8 cents to end at $4.08, with investors swapping 2,961 units, Caribbean Flavours finished 2 cents higher at $1.72, in trading 354,471 shares. Caribbean Producers picked up 3 cents to close at $2.63, with 100,345 shares passing through the market, Everything Fresh lost 10 cents in closing at 66 cents and exchanging 43,313 stock units, Express Catering shed 55 cents to settle at $3.50 trading 71,068 shares. Fontana gained 23 cents to close at $5.20, in crossing the market with 101,159 shares, General Accident rose to $6.15, with gains of 19 cents trading 6,061 units, Honey Bun picked up 5 cents to end at $4.90, after exchanging 39,758 stock units. Jamaican Teas closed 4 cents higher at $1.83, with investors swapping 1,000,633 shares, Jetcon Corporation slipped 2 cents to close at 80 cents, after 1,012 units passed through the market, KLE Group shed 15 cents and ended at $1, with an exchange of 3,000 units. Lasco Distributors shed 30 cents to settle at $3.16, with 4,077 units changing hands, Lasco Financial gained 9 cents to close at $2.64, with 24,601 stock units crossing the exchange, Lasco Manufacturing rose 22 cents to $3.90 after 1,400 units passed through the market.
Limners and Bards settled at $2.70, with gains of 20 cents with 62,241 shares changing hands, Lumber Depot gained 3 cents to close at $1.23, after exchanging 365,322 shares, Mailpac Group lost 1 cent to end at $2.19 trading 759,011 shares. Main Event lost 3 cents to close at $3, in exchanging 7,271 units, Medical Disposables jumped 46 cents to $4.39, with 500 units passing through the market, Tropical Battery gained 3 cents to close at $1.20, clearing the market with 6,082 units and tTech ended 22 cents higher at $4.30, after crossing the exchange with 8,950 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
