Trading closed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 9 percent and the value 12.00 percent higher than on Tuesday, leading to rising stocks clobbering that declining and ending with a moderate rise in the market index.
Some 43 securities traded, up from 42 on Tuesday and ended with 25 rising, seven declining and 11 closing unchanged. Five stocks closed at 52 weeks’ highs and one at a 52 weeks’ low.
The Junior Market Index climbed 15.34 points to settle at a record close of 4,399.56 after hitting an all-time intraday high of 4,411.48 in the early trading session.
The PE Ratio, a measure for computing appropriate stock values, averages 13.9. The PE ratios of the Junior Market incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for companies with financial years closing up to the end of August 2023.
Overall, 15,885,401 shares traded for $60,086,622 compared to 14,524,296 units at $53,604,474 on Tuesday. iCreate led trading with 2.42 million shares for 15.2 percent of total volume, followed by Tropical Battery with 1.81 million units for 11.4 percent of the day’s trade, Spur Tree Spices ended with 1.75 million units for 11 percent market share, EduFocal chipped in with 1.40 million units for 8.8 percent market share and Medical Disposables, 1.13 million units for 7.1 percent market share.
Trading averaged 369,428 shares at $1,397,363 up from 345,817 shares at $1,276,297 on Tuesday with month to date, averaging 426,741 units at $1,621,938 versus 430,328 units at $1,635,995 on the previous trading day. March closed with an average of 719,276 units at $2,636,802.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial rallied $1.12 to close at $21.50 while exchanging 24,946 shares, AMG Packaging rose 10 cents to $3.90, with 66,261 stocks crossing the market, CAC 2000 shed $1.40 in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $6 after exchanging 2,401 stock units. Cargo Handlers climbed 48 cents, ending at a 52 weeks’ high of $12.48 after trading 32,521 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 18 cents to end at $2.74 after an exchange of 29,655 units, EduFocal fell 12 cents to $3.10, with 1,396,003 stocks clearing the market. Elite Diagnostic dropped 12 cents to $3.58 in exchanging 108,262 shares, Everything Fresh popped 13 cents to close at $1.63 with the swapping of 281,192 stock units, Express Cateringlost 59 cents in closing at $5.90, with 355,162 units crossing the market. Fosrich advanced 85 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $29.20 in trading 57,814 stock units, Honey Bun increased 57 cents to end at $9.87 in an exchange of 308,708 shares, iCreate rallied 31 cents to $2.64 with an exchange of 2,418,108 stocks. Jetcon Corporation rose 15 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.95, with 398,430 shares changing hands, Mailpac Group advanced 10 cents in closing at $3.20 in switching ownership of 860,243 stocks, Main Event gained 41 cents to $9.99 in an exchange of 55,877 stock units. 
Medical Disposables climbed 95 cents to close at $7 after exchanging 1,128,190 units, Spur Tree Spices increased 31 cents in ending at a 52 weeks’ high of $4.22 after 1,754,659 stocks changed hands, SSL Venture popped 17 cents in closing at $1.75, with 175,106 shares clearing the market, Stationery and Office Supplies popped 75 cents to end at $9 trading 15,960 units and tTech rose 11 cents to $3.90 after 11,782 stock units passed through the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
