The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange took a sharp 3.7 percent drop on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded jumping 197 percent with a 395 percent increase in value, compared with Tuesday. Investors exchanged 42 securities similar to Tuesday, with prices of only four rising, 23 declining and 15 closing unchanged, with the Junior Market Index plunging a sizable 93.94 points to end at 3,171.99, down 6.7 percent year to date.
The market closed with trading of 21,516,511 shares for $37,579,067, after an exchange of just 7,248,907 units at a low value of $7,585,733 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 512,298 shares worth $894,740, after jumping from 172,593 stock units at $180,613 on Tuesday, with the month to date, averaging 315,987 units with valued $339,145 compared with 293,084 shares at $274,326 on the previous day and March, with an average of 410,874 shares at $527,130.
Fosrich led trading with 14.08 million shares for 65.4 percent of total volume, followed by Kintyre Holdings, which ended with 2.37 million shares for 11 percent of the day’s trade and Jamaican Teas with 1.83 million units for 8.5 percent of the volume changing hands.
At the close of trading, Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 10 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 15.4, calculated by dividing the last traded price by the earnings per share. ICInsider.com compiles the PE ratios in this report for companies with their fiscal year ending around August 2026.
At the close of the market, AMG Packaging dipped by 32 cents to end at $1.82 with an exchange of 15,729 shares, Atlantic Hardware shed 10 cents to $1.60, with trading in 311,782 units, Cargo Handlers fell $3.09 to finish at $17.58 with 986 stocks crossing the market. It was the major contributor to the decline in market value, along with the sparseness of winning stocks. Caribbean Assurance Brokers skidded 11 cents and ended at $1.50 with investors trading 3,683 shares, Caribbean Cream advanced 5 cents to $1.65 after a transfer of 608 stock units, Dolphin Cove lost 46 cents in closing at $10.05 after investors swapped 550 shares.
GWest Corporation slipped 10 cents to 60 cents with 138,559 stocks crossing the exchange, Honey Bun sank 60 cents to end at $5.88 with investors dealing in 71,904 units, Image Plus dipped 5 cents in closing at 70 cents with 22,253 stock units passing through the market. Jamaican Teas sank 19 cents to close at $2.13 with investors trading 1,828,800 shares, Jetcon Corporation dropped 10 cents to finish at $2.40 with 275,509 stocks clearing the market, ONE on ONE Educational sank 9 cents and ended at 85 cents in an exchange of 12,120 units and Regency Petroleum rose 29 cents to $4.49 with 11,614 stock units changing hands.Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.