Increased trading pushes Junior Market down

The Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market index surged to 3,323.70 points in the morning session on Monday, but selling pushed it back below the 3,300 mark to close at 3,277.70 after dropping 22.77 points with the volume of stocks traded slightly more than on Friday but with the value towering 40 percent higher.
Similar to trading on Friday, 37 securities traded and ended with the prices of 15 rising, 18  eclining and four closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 12.5 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Trading ended with 8,315,636 shares changing hands for $36,059,912 versus 8,206,423 units at $25,715,250 on Friday. Lumber Depot led trading with 3.08 million shares after controlling 37 percent of total volume, followed by Fontana with 2.37 million units and taking 28.5 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source with 689,535 units for 8.3 percent market share.
Trading averaged 224,747 shares at $974,592 in contrast to 221,795 shares at $695,007 on Friday. Trading month to date, averages 207,472 units at $735,506, compared to 204,540 units at $694,927 on Friday. September closed with an average of 207,032 units at $668,264.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial gained $1.10 to close at $19.70 while exchanging 114,509 shares, Blue Power fell 37 cents to $3, trading 11,015 stock units, CAC 2000 shed $2.25 to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $7 after exchanging 1,009 stocks. Cargo Handlers dropped 50 cents to $7, with 367 units crossing the exchange, Caribbean Assurance Brokers rallied 17 cents to $1.80, with 17,044 stock units clearing the market, Caribbean Cream spiked 33 cents to $6.70 after 17,573 stocks changed hands. Express Catering popped 10 cents to $5 in an exchange of 43,238 shares, Fontana rose 33 cents in closing at $6.40 with 2,370,536 units changing hands, Fosrich lost 8 cents to close at $8.12 in trading 11,170 units. Future Energy Source dropped 15 cents to $2.55 with the swapping of 689,535 stock units, General Accident declined 15 cents to $5.30 after exchanging 128,132 shares, Honey Bun climbed 15 cents to $9 in exchanging 75,161 stocks. iCreate dropped 8 cents to 92 cents after 98,817 shares crossed the market, Indies Pharma advanced 19 cents to $3.39 after trading 24,595 units, Jamaican Teas fell 10 cents to $4.08, with 508,658 stocks changing hands. Jetcon Corporation shed 13 cents in closing at $1 after switching ownership of 35,184 stock units, KLE Group popped 11 cents to $1.13 while exchanging 505 units, Knutsford Express lost 7 cents in ending at $8 after 2,919 stock units changed hands, Lasco Distributors popped 10 cents to close at $3.70, with 4,394 stocks clearing the market. Lasco Manufacturing dropped 24 cents to end at $4.65 trading 14,182 shares, Limners and Bards spiked 21 cents to $3.70 with an exchange of 184,618 stocks, Lumber Depot declined 7 cents to close at $2.90 after trading 3,076,244 units, Main Event lost 40 cents in closing at $4 after exchanging 1,865 shares, Medical Disposables shed 47 cents to $4.73 with the swapping of 10,110 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 48 cents to $6.48 in an exchange of two shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.