Financial stocks dominate Junior Market

Stocks of financial services companies controlled the top two spots of rising stocks with a third in the fifth position on Wednesday, with the Junior Market Index advancing 8.56 points to settle at 3,825.84 after the market traded up 3,872 points in the early morning session before giving back most of the early gains as trading activity closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with trading in 45 securities compared with 47 on Tuesday and ending with prices of 16 rising, 20 declining and nine closing unchanged.
The volume of stocks traded rose 30 percent with 34 percent higher value than Tuesday after the exchange of 11,234,558 shares for $22,689,491 compared with 8,654,611 units at $16,937,337 previously.
Trading averaged 249,657 shares at $504,211 compared with 184,141 units at $360,369 on Tuesday with the month to date, averaging 216,187 stock units at $430,726 down from September that averaged 419,421 stock units at $774,292.
Jamaican Teas led trading with 4.22 million shares for 37.5 percent of total volume followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 2.37 million units for 21.1 percent of the day’s trade and RA Williams with 825,139 stock units for 7.3 percent market share.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 12.8, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for financial years ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose $3 to close at $21.50 after an exchange of 4,649 stocks, Blue Power lost 25 cents to $4.15 with a transfer of 3,854 units, CAC 2000 gained 13 cents to end at $2.43 with the trading of 1,000 shares. Caribbean Assurance Brokers sank 33 cents to $3.16 in switching ownership of 16,369 stocks, Caribbean Cream slipped 20 cents to $3.25 with investors trading 329,158 shares, with the vast majority trading at $3.45, with the stock closing with two undisclosed amounts, Dolla Financial popped 24 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.64 after an exchange of 768,456 stocks. Dolphin Cove climbed 38 cents to $22.78 with investors dealing in 480 units, Everything Fresh fell 26 cents in closing at $2.14 after a transfer of 467,197 stock units, Fosrich increased 7 cents to end at $2.22 with traders dealing in 267,656 shares. Future Energy shed 13 cents to finish at $3.79, with 86,682 stock units crossing the market, Indies Pharma dropped 29 cents and ended at $3.11 with investors trading 100,628 stocks, ISP Finance jumped $5 to close at $25 in an exchange of just 550 units. Jamaican Teas sank 18 cents to $2.30, with 4,215,469 shares crossing the market, Knutsford Express rallied $1.47 to $12.90 as investors exchanged 9,727 stock units, Limners and Bards dipped 11 cents to end at $1.40 in trading 15,117 stocks. Mailpac Group rose 9 cents and ended at $2.49 with 33,007 units crossing the exchange, Main Event skidded 99 cents to finish at $11 with 5,488 stocks changing hands, Medical Disposables rose 11 cents to close at $1.90 in an exchange of 756 units. MFS Capital Partners declined 8 cents to 65 cents with 140,702 shares clearing the market and Stationery and Office Supplies popped 12 cents to finish at $1.68 with an exchange of 34,183 stock units.