Junior Market continues to consolidate

Trading picked up on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded jumping 164 percent, with the value spiking 150 percent higher than on Tuesday as the market squeezed out modest gains in the index on Wednesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market as the market continues in a consolidation mode.
Just 31 securities traded compared to 34 on Tuesday and ended with 14 rising, 11 declining, and six ending unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 6.48 points to settle at 3,366.45. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 14.2. The PE ratio of each stock is shown in the chart below, is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecasts for companies with their financial year ending up to August 2022.
Trading ended on Wednesday, with 6,875,413 shares changing hands for $21,664,369, up from 2,607,012 units at $8,672,047 on Tuesday. Mailpac Group led trading with 5.17 million shares accounting for 75.3 percent of total volume, followed by AMG Packaging with 284,383 units for 4.1 percent of the day’s trade and Lumber Depot with 242,672 units for 3.5 percent market share.
Trading on Wednesday averaged 221,788 shares at $698,851 versus 76,677 units at $255,060 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 801,106 units at $2,324,831, compared to 903,146 units at $2,611,225 on Tuesday. November closed with an average of 160,358 units at $581,730.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, AMG Packaging fell 5 cents to $1.85 in exchanging 284,383 shares, Cargo Handlers shed 98 cents in closing at $7 in an exchange of 4,921 stock units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dropped 42 cents to close at $2.40 after trading 147,753 stocks. Consolidated Bakeries rose 17 cents to $1.40 with 200,000 units changing hands, Derrimon Trading increased 6 cents to $2.33, with 46,534 units crossing the market, Dolphin Cove climbed 45 cents to $13.10 in exchanging 47,451 shares. Elite Diagnostic rallied 5 cents to close at $3.05 after trading 17,054 stocks, Fontana popped 5 cents in closing at $7.20 while exchanging 13,665 stock units, General Accident climbed $1.10 to $6.50, with 27,392 shares crossing the market. Honey Bun advanced 23 cents to $9.58, with the swapping of 655 stock units, iCreate dropped 10 cents in ending at 75 cents with an exchange of 136,604 units, Lasco Distributors fell 10 cents to end at $3.02 in trading 18,633 stocks. Lumber Depot gained 11 cents to $3.21, with 242,672 shares changing hands, Mailpac Group rose 13 cents to $3.38, with 5,174,467 stocks crossing the exchange, Medical Disposables dropped 20 cents in closing at $6.50 after trading 8,180 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies declined 65 cents to end at $5.61, with 70 units clearing the market and Tropical Battery shed 7 cents to close at $1.25 in switching ownership of 62,000 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.