Stocks surged to 3,361.89 points at the market’s opening on Friday, but pressure thereafter kept the gains below the day’s high and the market finally gave back the early gains, with the Junior Market Index declining 10.18 points to settle at 3,339.02 after the volume of stocks trading declining 22 percent and the value falling 35 percent below Thursday at the close of Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
At the close, 40 securities traded, from 36 on Thursday and ended with 15 rising, 19 declining and six closing unchanged.
At the close, the PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative value of each stock, averages 12.3 based on ICInsider.com 2021-22 earnings forecast.
A total of 4,111,715 shares traded for $14,329,748 down from 5,243,544 units at $21,893,161 on Thursday.
Future Energy Source led trading with 20.3 percent of total volume for an exchange of 835,106 shares, followed by Jamaican Teas 7.9 percent with 326,231 units and Lumber Depot 7.8 percent with 322,073 units.
Trading averaged 102,793 units at $358,244 compared to 145,654 at $608,143 on Thursday. Trading month to date averages 135,281 units at $449,191, against 146,884 units at $481,673 on Thursday. May closed with an average of 318,089 units at $760,337.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial declined $2.37 to $20.03, trading 5,942 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers popped 24 cents to $2.20 in trading 115,366 stock units, Caribbean Cream spiked 15 cents higher to $5.75 with a transfer of 27,752 shares. Caribbean Flavours gained 9 cents in closing at $2.15 in trading 100,285 stocks, Caribbean Producers slipped 8 cents to $3.85 after exchanging 225,183 shares. Dolphin Cove popped 45 cents to $7.25 with 16,653 units changing hands, Express Catering dipped 9 cents to finish at $5 after clearing the market with 40,456 units, Fontana lost 13 cents ending at $6 with the swapping of 91,683 shares, Fosrich rallied 50 cents to $8.20 in trading 22,545 stocks. General Accident slipped 20 cents to $5.80 after switching ownership of 85,880 shares, Honey Bun shed 40 cents in closing at $6.60 with 121,960 stock units crossing the exchange, Indies Pharma fell 16 cents to $3.83 in transferring 32,517 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance lost 12 cents to close at $3.13 in trading 20,000 shares. ISP Finance back off $5.04 to finish at $20 with the swapping of 53,500 stock units, Jamaican Teas shed 10 cents in closing at $3.80 after crossing the market with 326,231 units, Lasco Distributors rallied 12 cents to $4.08 in trading 7,214 shares, Lasco Financial lost 15 cents to settle at $3.80 in an exchange of 17,800 shares. 
Limners and Bards popped 23 cents to $3.13 with a transfer of 195,668 stock units, Lumber Depot climbed 13 cents to $3.39 in switching ownership of 322,073 shares, Main Event spiked 58 cents to $5.28 after trading 2,500 stock units, Medical Disposables fell 70 cents ending to $4.25 with 70,357 shares changing hands, Stationery and Office Supplies dived 79 cents to end at $7.52 in exchanging 88,968 stock units.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share spiked 15 cents to $1.15 with 300 stocks clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, the PE Ratio, a measure that determines an appropriate relative value of each stock, averages 12.4 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Trading averaged 145,654 unit at $608,143 versus 198,947 at $496,142 on Wednesday. for the month to date trading averages 146,884 units at $481,673, versus 147,466 units at $421,766 on Wednesday. May closed with an average of 318,089 units at $760,337.
Lasco Manufacturing rallied 13 cents to $5.64 with 47,797 shares changing hands, Limners and Bards dropped 15 cents to $2.90 with a transfer of 4,498 units, Lumber Depot fell 18 cents to $3.26 with ownership of 974,222 stocks changing. Medical Disposables slipped 5 cents to $4.95 with 1,565 stock units changing hands and Stationery and Office Supplies spiked 67 cents to $8.31 with 66,386 shares crossing the exchange.
A total of 38 securities traded, similar to Tuesday, with 16 rising, 13 declining and nine closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors fell 14 cents to end at $4 with 10,382 shares traded, Lasco Financial lost 12 cents to finish at $3.87 with 236,100 units changing hands, after trading at an intraday 52 weeks high of $4.20. Lasco Manufacturing slipped 9 cents to $5.51, with a transfer of 45,005 stocks, Medical Disposables fell 5 cents to $5 with investors switching ownership of 1,000 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies shed 51 cents to close at $7.64 with the 500 shares crossing the exchange.
Overall, 38 securities traded compared to 39 on Monday and ended, with 13 rising, 17 declining and eight closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing rose 8 cents to $5.60 with 580,585 stock units changing hands, Medical Disposables jumped 65 cents to $5.05 with 679 stocks passing through the market. Stationery and Office Supplies gained 15 cents to end at $8.15 with 10,860 units traded and tTech dropped $1.18 to close at $5.07 with 2,600 shares crossing the exchange.
Market activity led to 39 securities trading, down from 41 on Friday, with 21 rising, 11 declining and seven closing unchanged.
Trading averaged 354,111 units at $751,806, down from 148,909 at $414,611 on Friday. The month to date averaged 318,089 units at $760,337, compared to 316,141 units at $760,798 on Friday. April closed with an average of 329,241 units at $854,716.
Lumber Depot advanced 10 cents to $3.40 with 155,164 shares passing through the market, Mailpac Group rose 5 cents to $3.76 with 248,853 units changing hands, Medical Disposables shed 60 cents to close at $4.40 with 18,477 stock units traded. SSL Venture gained 8 cents to end at 63 cents with investors swapping 6,366 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 20 cents to $8 with a transfer of 10,501 units and Tropical Battery fell 7 cents to $1.15 with 583,616 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading averaged 148,909 units at $414,611, down from 258,025 at $550,419 on Thursday. Trading month to date averages 316,141 units at $760,798, compared to 326,224 units at $781,671 on Thursday. April closed with an average of 329,241 units at $854,716.
Honey Bun lost 17 cents in trading 7,181 stock units at $6.80, Iron Rock Insurance gained 5 cents to finish at $3.25 with 200,000 units crossing the market, Knutsford Express rose 30 cents to $8.30 with 14,497 units changing hands, Lasco Distributors lost 5 cents in closing at $4.25 with the swapping of 27,858 stocks. Lasco Financial ended 35 cents higher at $3.75 after exchanging 171,636 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing gained 15 cents in closing at $5.50 with the swapping of 160,799 shares, Limners and Bards lost 5 cents to settle at $3.15 in exchanging 454,746 units. Main Event rose 45 cents to $4.65 after a transfer of 125 stocks, SSL Venture fell 8 cents to 55 cents in exchanging 10,100 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies gained 10 cents in closing at $8.20 with investors switching ownership of 1,000 stock units.
A total of 37 securities traded versus 36 on Wednesday, with 12 rising, 19 declining and six closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with the bid higher than its last selling price and four with lower offers.
KLE Group climbed 28 cents to $1.30 with 68,000 stocks passing through the market, Knutsford Express fell 10 cents to $8 with 500 shares traded, Lasco Distributors rose 11 cents to $4.30 with an exchange of 118,363 units. Lasco Manufacturing dropped 14 cents to $5.35 with 73,518 stocks changing hands, Limners and Bards slipped 5 cents to $3.20 with a transfer of 149,575 stock units, Lumber Depot lost 10 cents to settle at $3.30 with 373,843 stocks traded and Main Event advanced 20 cents to $4.20 with 1,582 shares crossing the exchange.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids closing higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lumber Depot increased by 15 cents to end at $3.40 with 333,743 units traded, Mailpac Group lost 6 cents to close at $3.75 with 235,899 stock units changing hands, Main Event dropped 30 cents to $4 with investors switching ownership of 133,079 stocks. SSL Venture gained 8 cents to settle at 63 cents with 4,746 units traded and Tropical Battery rose 6 cents to $1.22 with 1,175,768 shares crossing the exchange.
At the close, Access Financial advanced $1.96 to finish at $22.16, trading 49 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dropped 11 cents to close at $1.89, after 7,131 stock units crossed the market, Caribbean Cream fell 14 cents to $5.52, with 43,307 shares changing hands, Caribbean Flavours dropped 10 cents to end at $2.05 in exchanging 134,970 units. Caribbean Producers shed 20 cents to close at $3.55, with 60,909 stocks clearing the market, Consolidated Bakeries shed 20 cents in ending at $1.50 after exchanging 35,150 shares, Derrimon Trading dropped 6 cents to $2.44, with 203,827 stock units changing hands. Dolphin Cove lost 11 cents to end at $7.50 after trading 1,583 stock units, Express Catering lost $1.08 to end at $4.42 with an exchange of 35,563 units. Fontana climbed 9 cents to $6.15, trading 98,368 stocks, Gwest Corporation climbed 20 cents to $1 in switching ownership of 487,358 units. Jetcon Corporation shed 7 cents in closing at 95 cents after trading 101,563 units, Knutsford Express fell 5 cents to $8.30 in switching ownership of 2,107 stock units, Lasco Distributors lost 15 cents to end at $4 with an exchange of 49,113 stocks.
Lasco Financial fell 14 cents to $3.16, with 29,785 stock units crossing the exchange, Limners and Bards fell 15 cents to $3.21 after 148,066 units cleared the exchange. Mailpac Group rose 6 cents $3.81 after exchanging 216,045 units, SSL Venture declined 9 cents to 55 cents in an exchange of 50,318 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 20 cents to $8.10, trading 27,915 shares.
At the close, Access Financial fell $1.95 to $20.20 after exchanging 142 shares, Blue Power climbed 27 cents to $3.97, trading 608 shares. Cargo Handlers rose 70 cents to $8.70, with one stock unit changing hands, Caribbean Cream dropped 34 cents $5.66 in exchanging 2,750 units, Caribbean Flavours increased 5 cents to $2.15, with 9,558 stock units crossing the market. Caribbean Producers advanced 10 cents to end at $3.75 with the swapping of 73,746 units, Dolphin Cove lost 39 cents to end at $7.61 in trading 40,788 units. Elite Diagnostic fell 20 cents to $3 in switching ownership of 223,848 units, Fontana advanced 6 cents to $6.06 while exchanging 102,677 stocks. Fosrich advanced 11 cents to $8.50, trading 53,297 units, Future Energy Source climbed 3 cents to $1.05 in exchanging 4,624,020 units, Honey Bun fell 24 cents to $6.75 with the swapping of 51,683 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance declined 80 cents to $3.20 with the swapping of 7,150 stock units. Jamaican Teas rose 7 cents to $4.03, with 451,911 stocks hanging hands, Jetcon Corporation lost 8 cents in ending at $1.02 after exchanging 669,133 stock units, KLE Group rose 19 cents to close at $1.21 with an exchange of 800 stocks.
Knutsford Express declined 9 cents to $8.35 while exchanging 53,847 stock units, Lasco Financial lost 10 cents in closing at $3.30, with 295,424 stocks switching ownership, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 8 cents to $5.48 in trading 165,451 units. Limners and Bards gained 6 cents to close at $3.36 after 77,292 units changed hands, Mailpac Group declined 12 cents to $3.75 in an exchange of 105,978 stocks. Main Event declined 39 cents in closing at $4.30 after trading 41,268 shares and tTech rose 25 cents to $6.25 with 1,398 shares clearing the market.