The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed the year on Thursday, with a slight slippage of the index that put the year’s loss at 21 percent after the market lost 39.3 percent up to March 18 at the year’s low point.
It was a brutal year for the fledgling companies as only seven recording gains during the year as the vast majority of prices tumbled.
Trading ended with 38 securities changing hands compared to 37 on Wednesday and ended with the prices of nine stocks rising, 14 declining and 15 remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index slipped by 3.01 points to 2,643.38. The average PE Ratio ended at 13.9 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 5,626,924 shares for $14,533,347 compared to 5,982,419 units at $14,795,087 on Wednesday. Mailpac Group led trading with 46.9 percent of total volume with an exchange of 2.64 million shares, followed by Derrimon Trading with 9.8 percent with a transfer of 552,371 units and iCreate with 6.6 percent market share or 369,792 units.
Trading averaged 148,077 units at $382,457 in contrast to 161,687 at $399,867 on Wednesday. The month to date, averaged 263,428 units at $638,694, compared to 269,327 units at $651,799 on Wednesday. November closed with an average of 193,331 units at $566,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial shed 44 cents to finish at $23.50 trading 985 shares, Blue Power dropped 62 cents to $2.78 with an exchange of 1,000 stock units, CAC 2000 jumped $1.01 to $13 with investors switching ownership of 975 stocks. Caribbean Cream rose 5 cents to $4.20 with 3,658 stock units changing hands, Caribbean Producers slipped 5 cents to $2.80 with 195,055 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove climbed $1 to $10 with a transfer of 45,636 stocks. Elite Diagnostic lost 5 cents to end at $3 with 18,254 units passing through the market, Everything Fresh closed 2 cents higher at 75 cents with an exchange of 120,050 stock units, Express Catering fell 9 cents to $3.50 with investors switching ownership of 115,500 shares. Fontana dropped 22 cents to $5.55 with 44,184 units changing hands, Fosrich lost 20 cents to end at $4 with the trading of 186,278 stocks, Honey Bun slipped 5 cents to $5.65 with a transfer of 31,432 stock units. iCreate exchanged 369,792 shares and declined 2 cents to 58 cents, Knutsford Express fell 24 cents to $6.56 with 5,803 units passing through the market, Lasco Distributors increased 9 cents to $3.25 with 15,630 stocks changing hands. 
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 15 cents to $3.85 with 10,310 stock units traded, Limners and Bards lost 10 cents to close at $3.05 with a transfer of 197,501 shares, Lumber Depot slipped 2 cents to $1.56 with 224,630 stocks passing through the market. Mailpac Group exchanged 2,639,122 units and declined by 1 cent to end at $2.87, Main Event dropped 19 cents to $3.20 with investors switching ownership of 49,287 stock units, Medical Disposables rose 5 cents to $4.25 with 131,782 units changing hands. SSL Venture gained 2 cents to close at 57 cents with 11,566 stocks traded and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 24 cents to $4.54 with 2,000 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
