Junior Market consolidation continues

Trading slipped moderately on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, as the market continued to trade in consolidation mode since the latter part of last week and ended the day with the volume of stocks traded declining 14 percent and the value 5 percent lower than Friday, after trading in 44 securities compared with 41 on Friday and ended with 12 rising, 22 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 4,765,501 shares for $11,620,310 compared with 5,520,175 units at $12,285,763 on Friday.
Trading averaged 108,307 shares at $264,098 down from 134,638 shares at $299,653 on Friday, with the month to date, averaging 189,437 units at $445,875 compared to 194,347 stocks at $456,877 on the previous trading day. Trading in July closed with an average of 326,541 units at $843,878.
EduFocal led trading with 570,949 shares for 12 percent of total volume, followed by Stationery and Office Supplies with 501,609 units for 10.5 percent of the day’s trade and Mailpac Group with 456,078 units for 9.6 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 4.08 points with 3,832.17.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, AMG Packaging skidded 32 cents to close at $2.27 in trading 82,359 shares, Blue Power advanced 7 cents to $2.08 after investors ended trading 279,750 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries declined 35 cents in closing at $2.25, with 65,955 stocks crossing the market. EduFocal dipped 15 cents to end at $1.30 with a transfer of 570,949 units, Express Catering rallied 10 cents and ended at $5.09 with investors dealing in 100,482 units, Fontana shed 25 cents and ended at $11, with 24,791 stocks crossing the exchange. Future Energy Source lost 9 cents to close at $3.36 after 146,911 shares passed through the market, GWest Corporation fell 15 cents to 84 cents with stakeholders exchanging 170,475 stock units, Image Plus Consultants dipped 10 cents to end at $2.05 after 39,803 units were traded. Indies Pharma lost 11 cents in closing at $3.01 after an exchange of 5,298 stocks, ISP Finance climbed $3.95 in closing at $29.95 as investors traded 100 shares, Lasco Distributors dipped 11 cents to $4.35 in switching ownership of 121,037 stock units. Limners and Bards fell 20 cents and ended at $1.70 after an exchange of 200,212 shares, Lumber Depot increased 7 cents to close at $2.16 after 26,516 stock units changed hands, Main Event rose $1.98 to end at $16.48 with an exchange of 107,706 stocks. MFS Capital Partners shed 27 cents to close at $2.15 while exchanging 5,015 units, Paramount Trading skidded 16 cents in closing at $1.55 in an exchange of 25,904 units and Spur Tree Spices dropped 8 cents and ended at $2.12 with investors transferring 39,557 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.