The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Friday, with the market dropping 12.5 percent year to date, with decliners outnumbering risers by a wide margin, with several heavily weighted stocks suffering declines, following poor profit performance. Trading closed on Friday with activity in 42 securities, down from 43 on Thursday, with prices of 19 rising, 15 declining and eight closing unchanged as the market slipped in value. The volume of stocks traded rose just 5 percent and the value sank 12 percent compared with the preceding day.
The market closed with trading of 23,106,280 shares at $37,269,312 up from 21,955,175 stock units at $33,321,331 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 550,150 shares for $887,365, after increasing from 510,585 stock units at $774,915 on Thursday. Trading for the month to date averages 280,479 units at $401,436, up from 267,964 stock units at $378,885 on the previous day and well below June, with an average of 1,591,326 shares at $1,703,148.
The leading traded stocks include two that suffered major losses in the first quarter, with Derrimon Trading leading trading with 7.97 million shares for 34.5 percent of total volume, followed by Fosrich with 2.83 million stocks for 12.2 percent of the day’s trade. Jamaican Teas closed with 2.77 million stock units for 12 percent of the volume traded, Stationery and Office Supplies ended with 1.80 million shares for 7.8 percent of the overall trade, ONE on ONE Educational chipped in with 1.47 million stocks for 6.4 percent of the number of stocks traded and Mailpac Group with 1.12 million stock units for 4.9 percent of market share.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index lost 5.81 points to conclude trading at 2,976.70. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending wth bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
The Junior Market ended with an average PE Ratio of 11.6. ICInsider.com compiles the PE ratios, derived by dividing the last traded price of a stock by the earnings per share for the fiscal year ending around August 2027.
At the close of trading, Atlantic Hardware rallied 7 cents to close at $1.22 with 215,890 units crossing the exchange, Cargo Handlers increased 75 cents to $17 with a transfer of 2,939 stocks, Caribbean Cream slipped 9 cents to finish at $1.90 as investors exchanged 10,772 shares. Derrimon Trading lost 12 cents and ended at $1.20 with 7,969,109 stock units crossing the market, Dolphin Cove fell $2.12 to end at $10.21 after an exchange of 4,853 shares, Express Catering declined 5 cents in closing at $1.95 with 162,317 units crossing the market. Fosrich popped 7 cents to $1.56 after trading of 2,828,396 stocks, GWest Corporation advanced 8 cents to finish at 59 cents in an exchange of 500 stock units, Honey Bun rose 39 cents and ended at $5.90 with 19,113 shares passing through the market.
Image Plus shed 7 cents in closing at $1.12 in switching ownership of 200,630 stocks, ISP Finance climbed 25 cents to end at $7.75 with 290 units changing hands, Jamaican Teas dropped 6 cents to close at $2.23 with investors swapping 2,769,440 stock units. Jetcon Corporation gained 11 cents to close at $3.43 after a transfer of 261,648 shares, Knutsford Express popped 99 cents to close at $7.47 with investors trading 1,276 stock units, Lumber Depot increased 28 cents to finish at $2.75 with an exchange of 825,205 stocks. Mailpac Group climbed 8 cents and ended at $2.63 with 1,124,130 units clearing the market, Medical Disposables dipped 5 cents to end at $1.10 with investors trading 16,238 stocks, Omni Industries skidded 8 cents to close at 88 cents in an exchange of 200,000 units. ONE on ONE Educational rose 5 cents to 75 cents with investors dealing in 1,472,316 shares, Regency Petroleum advanced 16 cents to end at $4.49 after an exchange of 169,031 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies lost 5 cents in closing at $1.62 after trading of 1,804,900 shares.Closing prices of securities trading are those of the last transaction.
At the end of the market activity, the JSE Combined Market Index jumped by 3,676.91 points to end at 378,973.79, the All Jamaican Composite Index rallied 3,370.96 points to finish at 445,549.88, the highest in more than four and a half years, the JSE Main Index climbed 3,889.14 points to close trading at 374,012.30, the highest in more than 4 years, the Junior Market Index dipped 5.81 points to 2,976.70 and the JSE USD Market Index popped 3.35 points to settle at 298.58.
Among the top losers, Eppley dipped $2.80 to end at $30.60, Margaritaville fell by $2.51 to $9.49, Barita Investments fell $1.14 to end trading at $67.30, Jamaica Producers slipped $1 to end at $21.00 and Quantas Advantage declined 69 cents and ended at $16.00.
Investors exchanged 21,955,175 shares valued $33,321,331, after jumping from 5,769,289 units at $10,871,063 on Wednesday.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index rallied 15.21 points to conclude trading at 2,982.51. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Fosrich dropped 11 cents to $1.49 in an exchange of 2,011,572 units, Honey Bun declined 39 cents and ended at $5.51 with investors swapping 1,913 stocks, Jamaican Teas increased 25 cents to settle at $2.29 with 3,502,416 shares crossing the exchange. Knutsford Express skidded $1.51 to $6.48 with investors trading 10,000 stock units, Lasco Financial climbed 12 cents to close at $1.64 with 555,806 stocks crossing the market, Limners and Bards rose 9 cents to $1.19 with investors dealing in 610,003 units. Mailpac Group gained 50 cents to $2.55 after an exchange of 80,656 stocks, Regency Petroleum rallied 8 cents to close at $4.33 with a transfer of 9,372 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies popped 9 cents to finish at $1.67 as investors exchanged 2,000,000 stock units.
At the end of the market activity, the JSE Combined Market Index gained 2,310.43 points to close at 375,296.88, at the same time the All Jamaican Composite Index gained 2,903.74 points to end at 442,178.92, the JSE Main Index popped 2,302.28 points to finish at 370,123.16, as the Junior Market Index advanced 15.21 points to end at 2,982.51 and the JSE USD Market Index popped up by 10.21 points to settle at 295.23.
Among the top losers, Seprod declined $3 to finish at $74.00, Massy Holdings skidded $2.49 and ended at $70.51, General Accident fell $1.70 to $7.35, Proven Investments dropped $1.19 in closing at $9.20 and Mayberry Group declined by 85 cents to finish at $5.04.
Grace delivered Interest and Other income along with its share of results of associates and joint ventures amounting to $2.17 billion, up 21 percent over the $1.79 billion in the second quarter in 2025. For the six months to June, the Group delivered an increase of 6.6 percent to $3.8 billion from $3.567 billion in 2025.
At the end of the market activity, the JSE Combined Market Index slipped 39.72 points to finish at 372,986.45, as the All Jamaican Composite Index climbed 686.13 points to close at 439,275.18, the JSE Main Index declined 91.94 points to settle at 367,820.88, the Junior Market Index rose by 6.72 points to 2,967.30 and the JSE USD Market Index popped 1.24 points to 285.02.
Among the top losers, Eppley Caribbean Property Fund lost $5.28 to close at $39.21, Scotia Group shed $2.06 to finish at $57.01, Eppley fell $1.35 to $32.00, NCB Financial skidded $1.20 to finish at $73.70 and Carreras slipped $1 and ended at $35.00.
The market closed with trading of 8,465,793 shares for $9,750,944, compared with 28,603,521 units at $37,608,677 on Monday.
At the close of the day, Access Financial dipped 30 cents in closing at $17.20 with investors exchanging 142 stocks, AMG Packaging advanced 6 cents to $1.76 with 28,063 units clearing the market, Atlantic Hardware rose 16 cents to $1.33 after an exchange of 174,337 shares. Cargo Handlers fell $1.95 and ended at $16 in trading of 2,469 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers declined 34 cents to $1.03 in trading 11,644 shares, Caribbean Cream declined 15 cents to close at $1.99 with 24,107 stock units changing hands. Caribbean Flavours rallied 9 cents to $1.18 in trading 1,730 stocks, Derrimon Trading dropped 10 cents to end at $1.21, with 3,162,483 units crossing the market, Dolla Financial lost 6 cents in closing at $2.90 with investors dealing in 141,194 shares. Dolphin Cove popped 36 cents to close at $11.38 in an exchange of 3,392 units, Elite Diagnostic skidded 23 cents and ended at $1.16 with investors trading 32,325 stocks, Fosrich climbed 17 cents to finish at $1.57 after closing with an exchange of 56,533 stock units. GWest Corporation slipped 10 cents and ended at 49 cents with 50,586 shares changing hands, Image Plus increased 7 cents to $1.10 with a transfer of 76,439 units, Indies Pharma fell 5 cents to end at $2.70 after an exchange of 41,911 stocks.
ISP Finance shed $1.04 in closing at $7.50, with 3 stock units crossing the market, Jamaican Teas gained 12 cents to close at $2.13, with an exchange of 70,791 shares, Lasco Financial declined 12 cents to finish at $1.53 after 3,425 units passed thro ugh the market. Limners and Bards and ended with an exchange of 113,113 shares at $1.12, Lumber Depot advanced 12 cents to $2.60 with investors trading 4,852 stock units, Mailpac Group lost 14 cents to close at $2.46, with 100,740 shares crossing the exchange. Main Event skidded 67 cents to end at $4.03 with an exchange of 6,480 units, Medical Disposables rose 15 cents in closing at $1.15, with 1,279 stocks changing hands, MFS Capital Partners dropped 7 cents to finish at 41 cents with a transfer of 16,882 stock units and Omni Industries slipped 9 cents and ended at 88 cents, with 149,830 shares changing hands.
At the close of the market, the JSE Combined Market Index jumped by 1,699.43 points to 373,026.17, the All Jamaican Composite Index increased by 3,225.08 points to 438,589.05, the JSE Main Index rallied by 2,136.74 points to 367,912.82, the Junior Market Index shed 47.86 points to wrap up trading at 2,960.58 and the JSE USD Market Index climbed by 5.89 points to 283.78.
In the preference share segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% gained $6.17 to end at $36, 138 Student Living preference share rose $13 to end at $233, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% climbed $10 to close at $1,150 and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% slipped by $4 tot $101 27 shares changing hands.
Included in the top losers, Seprod dropped $2.30 to close at $75.00, Eppley declined $1.25 to $32.00, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy declined by 90 cents in closing at $29.00, Mayberry Group fell by 88 cents in closing at $5.07 and Jamaica Producers declined by 79 cents to finish at $22.20. In the preferred segment, Eppley 7.25% preference share advanced $2.40 and ended at $19, Jamaica Public Service 7% dipped $1.45 to $30, Productive Business Solutions 10.5% fell $10 in closing at $1,140 and Sygnus Credit Investments C10.5% shed $1.30 to end at $105.
The market’s average PE is 9.5, with the TOP 10 averaging a mere 4 times this year’s earnings, suggesting a healthy upside going forward. Jetcon Corporation’s performance follows a doubling in revenues in the first quarter, and a 560 percent jump in profits. The stock is not in the TOP 10 currently, with the solid gains year to date. With ICInsider.com’s forecast of earnings at 45 cents per share, the stock should nearly double from the current price of $3.35 in heading to the $6-7 level by year end.