Big surge in Junior Market on Thursday

The Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market index surged more than 114 points in early trading on Thursday and ended lower but with a healthy increase of 66.87 points, to end at 3,569.62, with the volume of stocks trading declining 52 percent and the value dropping 56 percent from Wednesday’s healthy 55 million units at nearly $200 million. 
All 43 securities listed on the Junior Market traded on Thursday, up from 41 on Wednesday and ended with 18 rising, 17 declining and eight ending unchanged.
A total of 26,022,456 shares traded for $87,517,746 down from 54,515,428 units at $197,029,437 Wednesday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 15.23 million shares for 58.5 percent of total volume, but the stock price pulled back from Wednesday’s record, followed by Express Catering with 2.87 million units for 11 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source, 1.35 million units for 5.2 percent market share and Lumber Depot, 1.32 million units changing hands for 5.1 percent market share.
Trading averaged 605,173 shares at $2,035,296 compared to 1,329,645 shares at $4,805,596 on Wednesday, with the month to date, averaging 326,758 units at $1,265,884, versus 302,573 units at $1,199,046 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two stocks with lower offers.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 16. The PE ratio of each stock in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
At the close, Access Financial dropped $2.99 to end at $25.01 in exchanging 24,256 shares, AMG Packaging declined 20 cents to $3.10 trading 105,055 units, Blue Power popped 40 cents to close at $3.51 in an exchange of 6,121 stock units. CAC 2000 fell 50 cents to $7.50, with 312 stocks clearing the market, Caribbean Cream advanced 15 cents to $5.15 in trading 67,156 stocks, Caribbean Flavours increased 7 cents to end at $1.97, with 9,500 stock units changing hands. Dolphin Cove lost 50 cents in closing at $20 after 516,957 units crossed the exchange, Express Catering shed 25 cents to $5.35 trading 2,865,794 shares, Future Energy Source climbed 20 cents to close at $3.20 while exchanging 1,345,148 stocks. GWest Corporation rose 10 cents and ended at $1 as 460,890 stock units crossed the market, Honey Bun declined 35 cents to $9.45 after exchanging 11,532 shares, Iron Rock Insurance shed 20 cents to $2.90, with 1,600 units crossing the market. ISP Finance rallied $3 to end at $33 with an exchange of 120 stocks, Jamaican Teas gained 8 cents in closing at $3.89 after exchanging 698,854 shares, Lasco Distributors advanced 10 cents to close at $3.23 in switching ownership of 184,220 units. Lasco Financial dropped 32 cents to $2.96 after 34,587 stock units changed hands, Lasco Manufacturing fell 10 cents to $4.55 with the swapping of 123,866 stock units, Main Event rose 40 cents to close at $4.38 with an exchange of 6,491 shares. Spur Tree Spices lost 37 cents in closing at $2.28 after exchanging 15,232,910 stock units, SSL Venture lost 8 cents to end at 90 cents, with 206 units crossing the exchange and tTech rallied 15 cents in closing at $4.20 trading 5,699 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.