Trading closed on Friday, with the market index rising but with the volume traded falling 47 percent and values 41 percent lower than on Thursday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
The Market Index rose 24.73 points to 2,897.33 for a gain of 9.6 percent for the year to date. Similar to Thursday, 34 securities changed hands, with 19 rising, 12 declining and three remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.4 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 5,541,055 shares for $16,892,321 down from 10,531,327 units at $28,812,102 on Thursday. Jamaican Teas led trading with 22 percent of total volume for an exchange of 1.22 million shares, followed by Mailpac Group with 17.3 percent for 956,880 units and Caribbean Flavours with 11.8 percent for 656,369 shares.
Trading averaged 162,972 units at $496,833 slipping from 309,745 at $847,415 on Thursday. Trading month to date averaged 215,515 units at $615,400, compared to 227,586 units at $642,639 on Thursday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging gained 10 cents to $1.90 trading 217,976 shares, Blue Power picked up 5 cents to close at $3.10, with 1,695 shares clearing the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 12 cents to close at $1.83 in transferring 51,669 units. Caribbean Cream lost 14 cents to end at $4.65 after owners switched 2,087 units, Caribbean Producers gained 29 cents at $3.29 trading 5,651 shares, Dolphin Cove advanced 35 cents to $9.35 with 28,368 stock units crossing the exchange. Elite Diagnostic lost 5 cents to finish at $3 with 16,000 stocks changing hands, Fontana gained 5 cents to end at $5.80 trading 29,287 shares, GWest Corporation rose 6 cents to 89 cents with 125,397 units crossing the market, iCreate gained 5 cents to close at 75 cents with the swapping of 31,729 shares. Indies Pharma declined 23 cents to $3.18 after investors exchanged 550,100 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance fell 52 cents to $2.98, with 8,075 shares crossing the market. 
Knutsford Express slipped 51 cents to $6 in trading 18,167 shares, Lasco Distributors rose 14 cents to $3.74, with 4,197 stock units changing hands. Lasco Manufacturing gained 8 cents in ending at $4.34 after a transfer of 23,242 units, Lumber Depot gained 4 cents to close at $2.68 in an exchange of 522,779 units, Main Event fell 6 cents to $3.40 in an exchange of 14,000 stocks and Paramount Trading rose 18 cents to $1.50 in the switching of ownership of 37,500 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
