Junior Market trades
Junior Market did not end 2019 with glory splashed all over it with the market for small and medium-size companies, gaining just 3.1 percent in 2019, down from 18.8 percent in 2018 and 24.3 percent in 2017.
While the premier stocks rose appreciably in 2019, stocks on the Junior Market faltered in its performance in 2019, with the price of only one stock listed on the market at the end of 2018 doubling in value in 2019 and another coming close, with a rise of 97 percent. The Junior Market that saw a half of its listings declining in the year had just four stocks gaining over 100 percent. Three new listings in the Junior Market occupied the top three positions. Fontana, pharmacy operators, was the top performer and closed the year at $7.30 with a rise of 288 percent on the expectation that the new store at Waterloo Road that opened in the December quarter, will boost income and profit in the 2020 fiscal year. The second-best performer, the advertising and production company – Limners and Bards, was listed in summer and delivered a 200 percent increase for investors who bought the stock at the IPO stage. The recently listed MailPac Group, with gains of 111 percent from the IPO price of $1 took up the number three position.
Honey Bun fresh from the expansion of its bakery operations and a 20.4 percent growth in revenues in the September quarter and profit after tax rising 67 percent for the full 2019 fiscal year, doubled in price with a 103 percent increase.
Elite Diagnostic is the sole Junior Market stock from the 2018 TOP 10 to remain in the TOP 10 in 2019. tTech 6th worse performer in 2018, made it to the 2019 Top 10 in the eight position. Jetcon Corporation, the number 9 worse performer and GWest Corporation at number 10 in 2018 again ended in the worse ten performing stocks in 2019, in fourth for GWest and 10th position for Jetcon.
One major reason for the divergence for the performances of the Main Market and the Junior Market is to be found it the valuation multiple for both markets.
While both markets close 2018, with PE ratios around 16 times 2018 earnings the market moved decidedly in different paths with Main Market stocks approaching PE ratio around 20 leaving the Junior Market at just over 14.
Gains fin the Junior Market peaked at 12.8% on August 14 and drifted down since.
FosRich swapped 55,290 stock units and rose 2 cents to close at $4.32, GWest Corporation fell 1 cent to end at $1, with 14,464 units crossing the market, Honey Bun jumped $1.90 to settle at $7.90, after trading 21,220 shares. Iron Rock Insurance gained 7 cents to close at $3.52 with 31,434 shares changing hands, Indies Pharma gained 30 cents and closed at $3.50 with 361,999 stock units crossing the exchange. Jamaican Teas exchanged 30,265 shares and rose 20 cents to end at $6.30, Jetcon Corporation lost 15 cents trading 55,060 shares to end at $1.65, Lasco Financial gained 9 cents to end at $4.49, with 387,091 stock units changing hands Lasco Manufacturing jumped 54 cents to settle at $4.69 with 8,731 shares changing hands, Lumber Depot lost 7 cents to end at $1.61 with a transfer of 1,212,706 stock units. MailPac slipped 1 cent trading 281,140 shares to settle at $2.11, Medical Disposables lost 10 cents to end at $6.80 with 92,777 stock units trading and Paramount Trading rose 10 cents to end at $2.10, in transferring 104,000 shares and tTech climbed $1.02 to close at $6.52 with 46,414 shares trading.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investors Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Indies Pharma gained 29 cents and closed at $3.20 with 22,227 stock units crossing the exchange, Jamaican Teas transferred 315,700 shares and lost 10 cents to end at $6.10, Lasco Distributors traded 14,000 stock units after falling 29 cents to end at $3.21, Lasco Manufacturing dived 85 cents to settle at $4.15 with 49,928 shares changing hands, Limners and Bards rose 10 cents to end at $3 with 23,000 stock units crossing the exchange. Lumber Depot lost 7 cents to end at $1.68 with a transfer of 2,090,343 stock units, MailPac gained 4 cents in trading 1,725,404 shares to settle at $2.12 changing hands, Main Event dropped 35 cents to settle at $6.15 with 94,667 shares crossing the exchange. Medical Disposables lost 10 cents to end at $6.90 with 2,000 stock units trading and Paramount Trading slipped 5 cents to end at $2 in transferring 2,500 shares.
The Junior Market Index surged 69.58 points to close at 3,381.05, after 32 securities traded and ending with the prices of 20 stocks gaining, nine declining and three remaining unchanged, leaving the average PE of the market at 14.4.
Lasco Financial rose 40 cents to end at $4.40, trading 10,600 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing rose 25 cents to settle at $5 with 41,544 shares changing hands, Limners and Bards lost 10 cents to end at $2.90 with 75,820 stock units crossing the exchange. Lumber Depot lost 8 cents to end at $1.75, transferring 1,704,385 stock units, MailPac traded 882,679 shares to settle at $2.08 changing hands after falling 22 cents, Main Event climbed 35 to settle at $6.50 with 9,000 shares changing hands. Medical Disposables lost 40 cents to end at $7 with 35,328 stock units trading, Paramount Trading gained 5 cents to end at $2.05, in transferring 13,706 shares and SSL Venture Capital rose 2 cents to end at $1.13 with 121,562 stock units changing hands.
In contrast, November closed with an average of 120,579 shares at $506,880 for each security traded.
Knutsford Express exchanged 33,258 shares and declined 30 cents to end at $9.30, Lasco Distributors dropped 38 cents with 275,192 shares crossing the exchange to close at $3.101, Lasco Financial traded 20,660 stock units and gained 45 cents in closing at $3.90. Limners & Bards lost 5 cents in exchanging 113,993 stock units at $3, Lumber Depot lost 7 cents to close at $1.83 with 1,720,435 units crossing the exchange, MailPac rose 10 cents to settle at $2.30 while exchanging 71 million shares. Main Event traded 2,455 units but fell 5 cents to $6.15, Paramount Trading climbed 20 cents to close at $2 with 18,465 shares crossing the market, Stationery & Office Supplies rose 60 cents with just 1,001 units changing hands at $10.50 and tTech traded 3,785 shares but lost 45 cents to $5.50.
The Junior Market Index declined again at the close of trading on Monday, bringing the four days’ fall to 139 points, cutting the year to date gains for the market at a mere 0.8 percent after hitting a record on August 14 when it was up 12.8 percent to 3,662.94 points.
Lasco Financial traded 26,465 stock units and gained 35 cents in closing at $4.35, Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 7,935 shares and fell 15 cents to close at $4.75, Lumber Depot lost a cent to close at $1.90 with 1,392,924 units crossing the exchange, MailPac rose 7 cents to settle at $2.20 while exchanging 589,347 shares. Main Event traded 2,455 units but fell 5 cents to $6.15, Paramount Trading climbed 24 cents to close at $1.80 with 4,817 shares crossing the market, SSL Venture Capital rose 1 cent in exchanging 10,000 stock units at $1.11. Stationery & Office Supplies lost 49 cents with 32,356 units changing hands at $10.50 and tTech traded just six shares but rose 45 cents to end at $5.95.
The Junior Market index fell 41.91 points to close at 3,295.49 on Friday, bringing the four days’ fall to 117 points after 12 stocks rose and 14 declined and seven remained unchanged, leaving the average PE at 14.1.
Blue Power traded 2,710 stock units, after falling 35 cents to end at $5.50. CAC 2000 climbed $1 to close at $14 with 5,265 shares changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries shed 28 cents trading 4,720 units at $1.52, Dolphin Cove rose $1.60 to end at $11.10 with 2,694 units crossing the exchange, Elite Diagnostic transferred 78,000 units and fell 17 cents to end at $4.92. Everything Fresh lost 3 cents to close at $1.07 after exchanging 72,065 stock units, Express Catering lost 50 cents in trading 94,715 shares to close at $6, FosRich shed 20 cents to settle at $3.90 with 49,393 stock units changing hands, General Accident rose 8 cents to close at $7.48 after 35,281 stock units crossed the exchange. GWest Corporation traded 650 units and rose 23 cents to close at $1.06, Honey Bun gained 39 cents after exchanging 13,083 units at $8.39, iCreate gained 3 cents to end at 71 cents in trading 32,474 shares, Indies Pharma increased 30 cents while trading 159,619 units at $2.90. 
Jamaican Teas gained 15 cents with 12,500 units changing hands at $6.25, Knutsford Express exchanged 1,458 shares with a loss of 78 cents to end at $9.22, Lasco Distributors added 40 cents with 137,307 shares crossing the exchange at $3.40, Lasco Financial traded 18,864 stock units and lost 40 cents in closing at $4. Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 12,995 shares and fell 10 cents to close at $4.90, Limners & Bards pulled back 5 cents to close at $3.05 with 24,518 units crossing the exchange, MailPac slipped 5 cents to settle at $2.13 while exchanging 3,776,578 shares. Main Event traded 17,308 units but fell 30 cents to $6.20, Medical Disposables gained 25 cents to $7.40 with 8,821 shares crossing the market and Stationery & Office Supplies loss 1 cent with 1,036 units changing hands at $10.99.
Jamaican Teas lost 10 cents with 6,059,319 units changing hands at $6.10 as a director sold and a connected company bought most of the amount that traded, KLE Group traded 5,559 shares after rising 22 cents to $1.75, Knutsford Express exchanged 6,796 with a loss of $1 to end at $10. Lasco Distributors fell by 22 cents with 5,958,632 shares crossing the exchange at $3.22, Lasco Financial traded 108,782 stock units and lost 9 cents in closing at $4.40. Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 1,575,261 shares and fell 4 cents to close at $5; Lumber Depot pulled back 21 cents $1.91 with 1,581,307 crossing the exchange, MailPac added 5 cents to settle at $2.18 while exchanging 847,643 shares. Main Event exchanged 299 units and rose 37 cents to $6.50, Medical Disposables fell 85 cents to $7.15 with 200 shares crossing the market, Paramount Trading exchanged 20,000 shares after falling 44 cents to $1.56 and SSL Venture Capital traded 32,935 shares and fell 9 cents to $1.10.
The Junior Market index closed on Wednesday with 37.35 points fall to close at 3,343.59 and bringing the two days decline to 69 points after 15 stocks rose and 13 declined and five remaining unchanged, leaving the average PE at 14.3.
Jamaican Teas added 20 cents with 31,746 units changing hands at $6.20. Knutsford Express exchanged 3,420 with a gain of 71 cents to end at $11, Lasco Distributors rose 2 cents with 63,690 shares crossing the exchange at $3.22, Lasco Financial traded 39,866 stock units and lost 1 cent to close at $4.49. Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 3,443 shares and rose 21 cents to close at $5.04, 
The Junior Market index closed on Tuesday with a fall of 31.49 points to 3,380.94 with 28 securities changing hands, resulting in gains of 8 stocks with 15 declining and 5 remaining unchanged, leaving the average PE at 14.4.
iCreate shed 1 cent to end at 70 cents in exchanging 222,318 shares, Indies Pharma slipped 10 cents trading 15,111 units at $3.10. Jamaican Teas added 1 cent with 12,111 units changing hands at $6, Lasco Distributors fell 13 cents with 61,190 shares crossing the exchange at $3.20, Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 22,339 shares and fell 42 cents to close at $4.83, Limners and Bards rose 22 cents to close at $3 with 499,296 units changing hands. Lumber Depot pulled back 21 cents with 3,855,904 shares changing to close at $2.15, MailPac lost 20 cents to settle at $2.20 while exchanging 2,000,618 units and Stationery and Office Supplies rose 99 cents to $10.99 with 10,638 shares trading.