The Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market hit a new closing high on Friday after ending at record highs for eight of the past nine trading days. At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 42.27 points to settle at a record close of 4,451.62, up 29.85 percent for the year to date, thus surpassing the 29.7 percent rise for the entire 2021.
Trading ended on Friday with an exchange of 44 securities down from 45 on Thursday and finished with 20 rising, 18 declining and six were unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure for computing appropriate stock values, averages 14.2. The Junior Market PE ratios incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for companies with financial years closing up to the end of August 2023.
Volume of stocks traded fell 77 percent and the value dropped 79 percent from Thursday levels, with 10,594,910 shares traded for $46,967,519 compared to 46,371,367 units at $228,300,279 on Thursday. Lasco Manufacturing led trading with 2 million shares for 18.9 percent of total volume, followed by Future Energy Source with 1.08 million units for 10.2 percent of the day’s trade and Derrimon Trading with 1.01 million units for 9.5 percent market share.
Trading averaged 240,793 shares at $1,067,444 in contrast to 1,030,475 shares at $5,073,340 on Thursday with month to date, averaging 449,923 units at $1,781,786 compared to 461,796 units at $1,822,342 on the previous trading day. March closed with an average of 719,276 units at $2,636,802.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial rose 83 cents to $21.03, with 4,393 shares clearing the market, AMG Packaging popped 24 cents to $3.80, trading 52,828 units, CAC 2000 rallied 40 cents to end at $7 after exchanging 6,371 stocks. Cargo Handlers advanced $2.09 to close at $12.25 after 11,280 stock units changed hands, Dolphin Cove dropped 48 cents to $22 in trading 14,442 stocks, Express Catering climbed 16 cents to close at $6.16, with 18,272 units crossing the market. Fontana gained 34 cents in closing at $11.29 with the swapping of 352,809 stock units, General Accident increased 41 cents to end at $6.40 while exchanging 12,585 shares, Indies Pharma declined 14 cents to $3.15, with 110,478 stock units changing hands. Jetcon Corporation shed 12 cents in ending at $1.63, with 339,723 shares crossing the market, Lasco Manufacturing fell 45 cents to close at $5.25 after switching ownership of 2,001,922 stocks, Medical Disposables rallied 39 cents in closing at $6.89 with 15,015 units changing hands. 
Paramount Trading climbed 28 cents to end at $2.04 with an exchange of 151,045 shares, Spur Tree Spices lost 20 cents after finishing at $4.25 in exchanging 941,724 stock units, SSL Venture rose 15 cents to $1.75 after trading 50,512 units. Stationery and Office Supplies declined 35 cents to end at $9.30 in an exchange of 89,056 stocks, Tropical Battery shed 14 cents in ending at $2.85, with 647,853 stocks crossing the exchange and tTech fell 33 cents to close at $3.76 after exchanging 103,068 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
