Big fall for Junior Market

The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange plunged on Thursday after the volume of stocks traded rose 55 percent and the value climbed 61 percent more than Wednesday with trading in 45 securities trading up from 43 on Wednesday and ended with 11 rising, 26 declining and eight closing unchanged.
A total of 11,460,696 shares were traded for $29,877,310 compared to 7,376,918 units at $18,528,560 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 254,682 shares at $663,940 compared with 171,556 units at $430,897 on Wednesday. The month to date, averaged 187,355 units at $481,322 compared with 181,703 stock units at $465,990 on Wednesday, the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Paramount Trading led trading with 4.85 million shares for 42.3 percent of total volume followed by Dolla Financial with 1.42 million units for 12.4 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 1.04 million units for 9.1 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 72.07 points to settle at 3,963.89.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.7. PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial shed 80 cents to $23.50 with a transfer of 4,228 shares, AMG Packaging gained 13 cents in closing at $2.98 in trading 312 stocks, Blue Power lost 19 cents to finish at $2.61 after crossing the market with 10,914 stock units. Cargo Handlers declined $2.01 to end at $11.64 in an exchange of 2,778 units, Caribbean Cream lost 15 cents ending at $3.85 after a transfer of 2,124 units, Caribbean Flavours dipped 8 cents to $1.77 with 2,500 shares changing hands. Consolidated Bakeries lost 18 cents in ending at $1.81 in switching ownership of 5,268 stock units, Dolphin Cove gained 30 cents in closing at $15.30 after clearing the market with 660 stocks, EduFocal lost 7 cents to close at $2.43 after trading 10,800 shares. Express Catering dropped 44 cents to end at $5 with the swapping of 3,524 units, Fontana fell 12 cents to $9 in transferring 48,930 stocks, Future Energy Source dipped 7 cents to close at $4.78 as investors exchanged 191,439 stock units. General Accident shed 38 cents in ending at $4.70 with 5,176 shares changing hands, ISP Finance declined 50 cents in closing at $28.40 with investors transferring 13 units, JFP Ltd lost 14 cents to end at $1.70 in trading 529,994 stocks. KLE Group popped 19 cents to finish at $1.90 after trading one stock unit, Lasco Distributors dipped 7 cents to $2.70 with the swapping of 1,220 stocks, Lasco Financial declined 17 cents to end at $2.68 with an exchange of 2,960 shares. Lasco Manufacturing lost 22 cents in closing at $4.18 with the swapping of 38,457 units, Main Event fell 60 cents to $9.40 after exchanging 46,686 stock units, Medical Disposables shed 24 cents to close at $4.51 in trading 10,000 stock units. MFS Capital Partners rose 11 cents to $2.83 after 1,039,839 stocks passed through the market, Paramount Trading shed 18 cents in closing at $2.12 in switching ownership of 4,848,054 units, Stationery and Office Supplies rallied 71 cents to end at $15 trading 1,077 shares and Tropical Battery advanced 14 cents to $2.54 with a transfer of 799,246 units.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 16 cents to end at $1.17 after crossing the market with 4,256 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.