While Junior Market stocks on the Jamaica Stock Exchange chalked up gains of just 18.8 percent overall for 2018, but 5 companies’ stock rose between 104 to 282 percent for the year.
SSl Venture Capital, formerly C2W Music raced to a gain of 282 percent to remain in the TOP 10 Junior Market stocks for the second consecutive year. The stock benefitted from new life given it, when Stocks and Securities acquired controlling interest in it, for use as a venture capital vehicle. The next best performing stock delivered gains of 213 percent as investors pushed Derrimon Trading to new heights after the company announced a 10 for one stock split and the acquisition of a subsidiary. CAC2000 captured the number 3 best performing spot, rising by 160 percent for the year, followed by the 2018new listing, Indies Pharma, with gains of 113 percent, after investors drove the price to a record high of $4.10 to a gain of 173 percent from the IPO price of $1.50. Express Catering gained 104 percent to be one of 3 stocks to reappear 
in the top 10 for two consecutive years. Caribbean Flavours landed the 6th spot with a gain of 73 percent. Statinery & Office Supplies reappeared in the Top 10 with a rise of 69 percent. ISP Financial chipped in with a rise of 67 percent in 8th spot to be followed by the Montego Bay based, Cargo Handlers that chipped in with 50 percent and the early 2018 listed Elite Diagnostic, was tenth after rising 48 percent.
The worst performing stocks for 2018 included, GWest Corporation down 56 percent due mainly to the much lower revenues than previously forecasted and greater losses. Jetcon Corporation, one of the 2017 Top 10 stocks, came next with a loss of 39 percent as the company reported lower profits for the nine months to September than the prior year. The new 2018 listing, Everything Fresh, ended the first year on the Junior Market as the third worst performing stock with a fall of 39 percent, helped by poor third quarter results as well as coming to the market at an excessive valuation. AMG Packaging ended as the 4th worst performer as the price 
reflected the losses caused by the toilet tissue operations with a decline in the stock price by 37 percent as it followed tTech with a decline of 33 percent. Eppley that migrated to the main market on the last day of 2018, declined 24 percent to the 6th worse performer, while Lasco Financial lost altitude to close out 2018 as the 7th worse performing the Junior Market stock, with a loss of 15 percent, just ahead of Knutsford Express at the 8th spot, with a fall of 13 percent, Sweat River fell 9 percent and Consolidated Bakeries ended at the 10th spot with a loss of 6 percent.
