Consolidation continues for Junior Market

Trading picked up on Wednesday on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with a 66 percent jump in the volume of stocks traded with the value climbing 52 percent over that on Tuesday with investors trading in 44 securities similar to Tuesday and ended with prices of 18 rising, 14 declining and 12 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 7,960,577 shares for $17,940,729, up from 4,787,609 units at $11,820,076 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 180,922 shares at $407,744 compared with 108,809 shares at $268,638 on Tuesday with the month to date, averaging 267,964 units at $2,829,487 compared with 273,803 stock units at $2,991,921 on the previous day, which is well up on March, with an average of 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
Jamaican Teas led trading with 1.95 million shares for 24.5 percent of total volume followed by Lumber Depot, with 1.51 million units for 18.9 percent of the day’s trade and Image Plus Consultants with 879,036 units for 11 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index fell 7.59 points to 3,692.92.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Blue Power dipped 40 cents to close at $2.03 with investors transferring 11,729 shares, Cargo Handler lost 20 cents after ending at $13.50 and investors trading 1,000 stock units, Dolphin Cove popped 32 cents in closing at $15.32 after exchanging 184 stocks. Elite Diagnostic gained 20 cents to close at $2.60, with 9,873 units changing hands, Everything Fresh shed 6 cents to end at $1.45 after investors exchanged 11,885 units, Express Catering dropped 8 cents to $5.42 with a transfer of 98,289 stocks. General Accident rose 50 cents in closing at $5.50 after an exchange of 53,052 shares, Honey Bun declined 16 cents to end at $6.32 with 1,439 stock units changing hands, Image Plus Consultants fell 11 cents after ending at $1.89, with 879,036 units crossing the market. ISP Finance popped $1.99 to close at $21.50 while exchanging just 10 shares, Jamaican Teas climbed 15 cents to $2.25 in trading 1,952,779 stock units, Knutsford Express declined 54 cents in closing at $10.55, with 12,002 stocks crossing the market. Lasco Distributors increased 11 cents to end at $2.42 with the swapping of 155,467 units, Lasco Manufacturing advanced 39 cents to $4.05 in an exchange of 31,717 stock units, Main Event lost 51 cents to close at $13.49 as investors exchanged 7,268 stocks. Medical Disposables gained 14 cents to end at $5.14, with  1,212 shares crossing the exchange and Regency Petroleum rose 6 cents in closing at $2.45 after a transfer of 144,832 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.