Junior Market bounce

Stocks posted gains as trading closed sharply lower on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Friday, following heavy trading in Spur Tree spices on Thursday and ended on Friday with a 95 percent drop in the volume of stocks traded, worth 96 percent less than Thursday’s trades, with trading in 44 securities compared with 45 on Thursday and ending with prices of 17 rising, 14 falling and 13 closing firm.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index climbed 28.47 points to wrap-up trading at 3,804.02.
The market closed with trading of only 3,153,277 shares for just  $5,829,829 well down from 67,112,668 units at $155,529,698 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 71,665 shares at $132,496, compared with 1,491,393 units at $3,456,216 on Thursday with a month to date average 283,220 units at $650,048 compared to 310,046 stock units at $715,674 on the previous day and March with an average of 221,659 units at $464,382.
Caribbean Assurance Brokers led trading with 864,573 shares for 27.4 percent of total volume followed by EduFocal with 851,715 units for 27 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 497,347 units for 15.8 percent market share.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 12.6, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows no stock ending with a bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial declined $1.18 in closing at $20.01 in switching ownership of 1,009 stock units, AMG Packaging slipped 10 cents to $3.20 as investors exchanged 33,381 shares, Cargo Handlers popped $1.08 to end at $13.88, with 152 stocks being traded. Caribbean Assurance Brokers rallied 11 cents and ended at $2.32 with traders dealing in 864,573 units, Caribbean Flavours dipped 12 cents to close at $1.58 in an exchange of 1,002 shares, Consolidated Bakeries fell 18 cents to finish at $2.01 after trading 1,221 stock units. EduFocal slipped 9 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of 93 cents with 851,715 units clearing the market, Everything Fresh increased 17 cents to $1.74 with investors transferring 26,955 stocks, Future Energy climbed 7 cents in closing at $3.49 after exchanging 42,409 shares. Honey Bun rose 5 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $7.92 after 21,824 shares were traded, Iron Rock Insurance lost 32 cents to finish at $2.20, with 1,770 units crossing the market, ISP Finance rose $4.65 to end at $31 after a transfer of a mere 3 stock units, Jetcon Corporation advanced 7 cents to close at 95 cents, with 6,731 stock units changing hands. Knutsford Express gained 30 cents to $11.50 in an exchange of 38 shares, Lumber Depot shed 12 cents to end at $2.55, after 14,656 stocks passed through the market and MFS Capital Partners popped 11 cents in closing at $1.87 after an exchange of 497,347 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.