Big drop for Junior Market

Trading pushed the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange sharply down on Monday and gave back most of Friday’s 77 points gains following the last minute bounce to close out May as the market closed with a 68 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded, following a 64 percent lower value of funds entering the market than Friday with trading in 45 securities up from 39 on the previous trading day and ending with prices of 12 rising, 22 declining and 11 closing unchanged.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index dipped 71.22 points to finish at 3,765.28.
The market ended trading of 4,783,133 shares for $11,166,537 down from 14,832,174 units at $31,162,735 on Friday.
Trading averaged 106,292 shares at $248,145 compared with 380,312 units at $799,044 on Friday down from May with an average of 451,257 units at $953,021.
Limners and Bards led trading with 1.06 million shares for 22.2 percent of total volume followed by Dolla Financial with 867,867 units for 18.1 percent of the day’s trade and Caribbean Assurance Brokers with 494,204 units for 10.3 percent market share.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 12.8, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial declined $1.25 and ended at $19.75 as investors exchanged 1,274 stocks, Blue Power fell 40 cents to $3.05 with a transfer of 30,675 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers shed 10 cents in closing at $3.73 after investors ended trading 494,204 shares. Caribbean Cream increased 35 cents to close at $4.35 in an exchange of 80,145 stock units, Dolphin Cove lost 85 cents to finish at $24 with 18,663 shares clearing the market, Express Catering dipped 19 cents to $3.81 in switching ownership of 229,621 stocks. Fontana popped 17 cents in closing at $8.10 after a transfer of 43,107 units, Fosrich sank 15 cents to $2.15 with 74,339 stock units crossing the exchange, Future Energy dropped 14 cents to close at $3.35, with investors dealing in 90,010 shares following the release of full year results, with 2024 profit coming out lower than the prior year. GWest Corporation rallied 10 cents to finish at 95 cents and closed with an exchange of 21,374 stocks, Honey Bun shed 10 cents and ended at $7.80 with 12,422 units changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance rose 8 cents to end at $2.18 after 12 stock units passed through the market. ISP Finance climbed $1.99 in closing at $26 with investors swapping a mere 3 shares, JFP Ltd slipped 13 cents to $1.15 in an exchange of 275,993 stock units, Lasco Financial fell 17 cents to finish at $1.51, with 158,748 units changing hands. Limners and Bards gained 12 cents and ended at $1.50 with investors trading 1,063,181 stocks, Main Event dipped 40 cents to end at $12.60, with 26,210 shares crossing the market, Regency Petroleum sank 27 cents to close at $2.11 with traders dealing in 10,483 stocks. Spur Tree Spices advanced 9 cents to $2.36, with 282,420 units crossing the market, Stationery and Office Supplies skidded 7 cents in closing at $1.65 after an exchange of 6,974 stock units, Tropical Battery lost 11 cents and ended at $2.09 with investors transferring 59,741 shares and tTech slipped 35 cents to close at $2.14 after exchanging 3,334 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.