Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 35 percent and the value 25 percent lower than Wednesday following trading in 41 securities compared with 44 on Wednesday and ended with 12 rising, 22 declining and seven closing unchanged and ending with the Junior Market Index popping 18.08 points to close at 3,820.10 after two stocks closed on 52 weeks’ lows.
Investors traded 3,568,081 shares for $12,531,088 compared with 5,519,040 units at $16,710,818 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 87,026 shares at $305,636, compared to 125,433 shares at $379,791 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 113,573 units at $287,518 compared with 117,927 stock units at $284,547 on the previous day, well down from October with an average of 361,392 units at $863,984.
EduFocal led trading with 597,842 shares for 16.8 percent of total volume, followed by Stationery and Office Supplies with 457,050 units for 12.8 percent of the day’s trade and Lumber Depot, 380,300 units for 10.7 percent market share.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 11.4, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial shed 50 cents and ended at $29 with traders dealing in 19 units, AMG Packaging dropped 57 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.95, with 747 stocks changing hands, Cargo Handlers rallied 9 cents to end at $14.49 with investors dealing in 1,000 shares. Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 17 cents in closing at $2.83 while 4,778 stock were trading, Caribbean Flavours skidded 9 cents to close at $1.31 in switching ownership of 8,044 shares, Derrimon Trading fell 8 cents to $1.92 after an exchange of 7,121 stock units. Dolla Financial increased 8 cents to close at $2.48 with a transfer of 157,601 units, Dolphin Cove climbed 97 cents to end at $16.50 with stakeholders exchanging 55,373 stocks, Express Catering dipped 65 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.75, as 124,899 shares passed through the market.
Fontana declined 38 cents and ended at $11 in an exchange of 374,039 stock units, Honey Bun rose 20 cents to $6.65 and closed with an exchange of 1,464 units, Iron Rock Insurance lost 19 cents and ended at $2 as investors traded 100,000 stocks. ISP Finance fell $2.79 to close at $28, with 500 units crossing the market, Knutsford Express dropped 10 cents to end at $12.20 with an exchange of 1,014 shares, Lasco Distributors gained 40 cents in closing at $4.55 with 279,413 stock units clearing the market and significantly sucked out most of the supply of stocks and leaving ten offers on the board at the close with prices from $4.55 to $15.90. Lumber Depot shed 17 cents to $2.50 after an exchange of 380,300 stocks, 
Stationery and Office Supplies declined 8 cents and ended at $1.62 with investors transferring 457,050 shares and Tropical Battery popped 8 cents to close at $1.90, with 9,899 units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
