Trading dropped and the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange pulled back on Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 16 percent and the value 18 percent from Wednesday outturn, with 46 securities trading compared with 43 on Wednesday, with prices of 16 stocks rising, 22 declining and eight closing unchanged.
Investors traded 9,723,498 shares for $23,066,193 compared to 11,588,780 units at $28,016,741 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 211,380 shares at $501,439, down from 269,507 shares at $651,552 on Wednesday, with a month to date average of 200,679 units at $533,422 compared with 199,552 stock units at $536,788 on the previous day. May ended with an average of 239,954 units at $648,811.
KLE Group led trading with 3.31 million shares for 34 percent of total volume, followed by Fosrich with 2.06 million units for 21.2 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source with 479,757 units for 4.9 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index declined 23.99 points to 3,842.97.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.2. 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 four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging dipped 15 cents in closing at $2.30 after a transfer of 25,113 shares, Blue Power advanced 45 cents to $2.65 in an exchange of 13,770 stocks, CAC 2000 declined 45 cents to $6.64 after stakeholders traded 11 units. Caribbean Flavours dropped 15 cents to $1.25 with a transfer of 1,860 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries popped 12 cents to $2.42 after an exchange of 156,000 stocks, Dolphin Cove shed 93 cents to end at $15 while exchanging 18,276 stock units. Elite Diagnostic lost 16 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $2.04, with 7,552 shares crossing the exchange, Express Catering rose 12 cents to close at $5, with an exchange of 22,988 units, Fontana rallied 15 cents to $9.75, with 95,969 stock units changing hands.
Fosrich increased 25 cents to close at $2.40 with stakeholders trading 2,062,959 units, Future Energy Source climbed 11 cents and ended at $4 with shareholders swapping 479,757 shares after the stock traded at an intraday 52 weeks’ low of $3.75. General Accident 23 cents to end at $5 in switching ownership of 4,500 stocks, iCreate dipped 11 cents to $1.17 with an exchange of 20,000 units. ISP Finance declined 45 cents to close at $26 after 5,727 shares changed hands, KLE Group fell 17 cents in closing at $1.60 in an exchange of 3,309,710 stocks, Knutsford Express dropped 45 cents in closing at $11.05 in trading 4,536 stock units. Lasco Manufacturing gained 14 cents to close at $4.49 after exchanging 50,745 stocks, Regency Petroleum lost 10 cents to end at $2.81, with 126,729 stock units crossing the market, 
Stationery and Office Supplies shed $2.04 to $21.96 after 5,291 units passed through the market and tTech fell 20 cents to $2.30 as investors exchanged 163 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
