Christmas rally for Junior Market

Stocks mostly rose on Thursday at the close of the market ahead of the Christmas holidays on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange. The number of securities and volume of stocks trading dipped below Wednesday’s levels as 25 percent less funds chased stocks leading to a 30 percent fall in the volume of stocks changing hands.  
Trading ended with 33 securities changing hands compared to 40 on Wednesday and ended with the prices of 14 stocks rising, the prices of 10 declining and nine remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 27.65 points to 2,594.40, and the average PE Ratio ended at 14 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading closed with 3,548,314 shares  at $8,469,026 down from 4,707,073 units at $11,350,211 on Wednesday. Mailpac Group led trading with 33.2 percent of total volume for 1.09 million shares, followed by Tropical Battery with 15.6 percent and 512,488 units and Derrimon Trading with 15.2 percent after 497,848 shares traded.
Trading averaged 107,525 units at $256,637 in contrast to 117,677 at $283,755 on Wednesday. The month to date, the average resulted from an exchange of 297,615 units at $719,234, compared to 308,140 units at $744,848 on Wednesday. Trading in November resulted in an average of 193,331 units at $566,885 trading.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial shed 25 cents in ending at $20.35 while exchanging  12,767 shares, Caribbean Cream lost 26 cents to close at $4.20, with 76 units crossing the exchange, Caribbean Flavours shed 1 cent to close at $1.68 trading 4,701 stocks. Caribbean Producers gained 9 cents to close at $2.89 trading 7,504 shares, Consolidated Bakeries carved out a loss of 4 cents to end at $1.35, after owners switched 7,200 stock units, Derrimon Trading rose 9 cents to $2.39, with 497,848 units crossing the market. Elite Diagnostic advanced 13 cents to $2.99 after exchanging 3,386 shares, Everything Fresh rose 4 cents to 69 cents while exchanging 171 stock units, Fontana carved out a gain of 2 cents in closing at $5.42, with 75,906 stocks crossing through the exchange Fosrich declined by 15 cents to $4 while exchanging 32,750 stock units, General Accident increased 19 cents to end at $6.18 with investors swapping 19,873 units, Honey Bun lost 15 cents in closing at $5.85, trading 729 shares.  iCreate fell 2 cents to close at 59 cents after  56,731 stock units crossed the market, Iron Rock Insurance increased 3 cents to $3.80 with investors swapping 31,140 units, Jamaican Teas advanced 10 cents in closing at $2 and finishing, with 310,384 stock units changing hands. Knutsford Express gained 5 cents to close at $6.70 after trading 13,282 stock units, Lasco Distributors climbed 1 cent to settle at $3.07 with 9,043 shares clearing the market, Lasco Financial carved out a loss of 30 cents to close at $2.46 after exchanging 160,000 shares. Lasco Manufacturing gained 20 cents to close at $3.88, with 48,392 stock units changing hands, Limners and Bards rose 15 cents to $3.03 and traded 221,801 units, Lumber Depot increased 3 cents to $1.59 after finishing trading with 49,500 shares. Mailpac Group increased 2 cents to $2.81, trading 1,089,697 shares, Main Event dropped 41 cents to end at $2.99 with an exchange of 7,589 stocks and Tropical Battery fell 2 cents to $1.13, exchanging 512,488 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.