Investors push Junior Market into black

Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Thursday, with a 420 percent surge in the volume of stocks traded after a 575 percent jump in value over Wednesday with trading in 44 securities as was the case on Wednesday and ending with prices of 23 rising, 12 declining and nine closing unchanged and closing with a jump in the market index to close with a moderate gain for the year to date.
The market closed with 37,301,154 shares being traded for $98,792,252 up sharply from 7,170,788 units at $14,644,800 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 847,754 shares at $2,245,278 compared with 162,972 units at $332,836 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 190,689 units at $404,736 down from 192,229 stocks at $408,731 on the previous day. The average to date includes shares of Lasco Distributors and Lasco Manufacturing  up to Tuesday this week, before they migrated to the Main Market on Wednesday. Trading in February  averaged 243,917 units at $566,909.
Spur Tree Spices led trading with 22.59 million shares for 60.6 percent of total volume followed by Indies Pharma with 2.94 million units for 7.9 percent of the day’s trade, Fosrich closed with 2.47 million stocks for 6.6 percent market share, Mailpac Group ended with 2.31 million units for 6.2 percent of stocks traded and Stationery and Office Supplies with 1.79 million shares for 4.8 percent of total volume.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index climbed 46.14 points to 3,876.03, up 0.7 percent for the year to date.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.6, 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 six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial increased $1.26 to end at $21.26 in an exchange of 5,181 stocks, AMG Packaging declined 38 cents in closing at $3.12 after 5,002 units were traded, Cargo Handlers sank 97 cents to $13 with an exchange of just one share. Caribbean Assurance Brokers climbed 10 cents to close at $2.25 with 657,487 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Cream rose 19 cents and ended at $3.88 with investors transferring 93 shares, Consolidated Bakeries dipped 15 cents to $2.03 as 530 stocks passed through the market. Dolphin Cove fell 65 cents to close at $18.75 with investors trading 7,128 units, Everything Fresh advanced 9 cents to end at $1.80 in switching ownership of 334,309 stock units, Fontana popped 8 cents in closing at $8.98, with 71,377 shares crossing the exchange. Future Energy rallied 15 cents and ended at $3.65 in trading 300,501 units, GWest Corporation gained 9 cents to end at $1.10 with 162,050 stocks clearing the market, Honey Bun dropped 8 cents in closing at $7 with traders dealing in 23,012 stock units. ISP Finance popped $2.81 to end at $30.91, with a mere one share crossing the market, Jamaican Teas gained 23 cents to close at $2.75 after an exchange of 562,910 stock units, JFP Ltd lost 10 cents and ended at $1.35, with 19,716 stocks crossing the market. KLE Group rose 30 cents to $2.33 with investors swapping 144 units, Lumber Depot climbed 10 cents and ended at $2.80 with a transfer of 366,821 stocks, Mailpac Group increased 16 cents to end at $2.20 after investors ended trading 2,313,996 units. Main Event skidded 89 cents in closing at $13.58 with investors dealing in 6,199 shares, Paramount Trading advanced 14 cents to close at $1.38 after an exchange of 48 stock units, Regency Petroleum rallied 7 cents to $2.29 in an exchange of 18,538 shares. Spur Tree Spices rose 70 cents and ended at $3.24 as investors exchanged 22,588,085 units and Stationery and Office Supplies rallied 10 cents to close at $1.70 after a transfer of 1,790,379 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.