Junior Market bounces as year-end prices adjust

Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 38 percent and the value 40 percent lower than Wednesday with trading taking place in 41 securities compared with 39 on Wednesday and ended with 13 rising, 15 declining and 13 closing unchanged as some prices that enjoyed a year end bounce continue to normalise.
Investors traded 3,646,469 shares for $7,879,162 compared with 5,922,564 units at $13,058,153 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 88,938 shares at $192,175, compared to 151,861 units at $334,824 on Wednesday. Trading for the month to date, averaged 151,373 stock units at $306,101 compared with 181,138 stock units at $360,415 on the previous day well off from December that closed with an average of 466,866 units at $1,111,272.
iCreate led trading with 612,599 shares for 16.8 percent of total volume followed by Future Energy with 573,561 units for 15.7 percent of the day’s trade and One Great Studio with 415,210 units for 11.4 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 29.96 points to finish at 3,792.26.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.4, 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 five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of trading on Thursday, CAC 2000 dipped 35 cents to end at $4.50 after an exchange of 200 stock units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers popped 10 cents to end at $2.25, with 548 shares changing hands, Caribbean Flavours advanced 25 cents in closing at $1.92 after 4,199 stocks passed through the market. Dolphin Cove rose 70 cents to close at $20 with a transfer of 33,909 units, EduFocal rallied 14 cents to end at $1.74 with 262,714 shares clearing the market, Fontana increased 52 cents in closing at $10.60 in an exchange of 83,421 stock units. Fosrich fell 7 cents to $2.23, with traders dealing in 68,200 units, GWest Corporation skidded 8 cents and ended at 89 cents in an exchange of 10,000 stocks, Honey Bun climbed 19 cents to close at $6.30 with investors trading 2,936 shares. Lumber Depot sank 26 cents to end at $2.39 closed after an exchange of 53,494 stocks, Mailpac Group shed 20 cents in closing at $2.04 with investors swapping 29,280 units, MFS Capital Partners dropped 21 cents to $2 after a transfer of 144,632 stock units. Paramount Trading gained 7 cents and ended at $1.39, with 27,581 shares crossing the exchange and Spur Tree Spices lost 33 cents to close at $2.24 in switching ownership of 113,129 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.