Junior Market drops again

Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 306 percent and the value 241 percent more than on Wednesday even as fewer securities traded with 36 securities compared down from 40 on Wednesday and ended with prices rising and declining stocks sharing 14 stocks each, with eight closing unchanged.
Investors traded 19,362,577 shares for $34,892,741 compared with 4,766,135 units at $10,223,648 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 537,849 shares at $969,243, compared with 119,153 units at $255,591 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 169,444 units at $350,806, up from 132,501 stock units at $288,790 on the previous day, but lower than November, with an average of 262,280 units at $587,545.
Caribbean Flavours led trading with 12.03 million shares for 62.1 percent of total volume followed by Future Energy with 3.01 million units for 15.5 percent of the day’s trade and Jamaican Teas with 1.05 million units for 5.4 percent of the day’s trade.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 21.06 points to close at 3,661.32.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13, 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 the market on Thursday, AMG Packaging declined 36 cents to $2.30, after just 292 shares passed through the market, Cargo Handlers plunged $3.64 to $11.31 with a transfer of 1,100 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dipped 25 cents to end at $2.25 with an  exchange of 6,000 shares. Caribbean Flavours lost 25 cents to close at $1.25 after 12,028,579 stock units were traded, Derrimon Trading rose 14 cents to $2 with 14,246 shares clearing the market, Fontana popped 30 cents to $10.30 in switching ownership of 1,791 units. GWest Corporation skidded 8 cents and ended at 87 cents with traders dealing in 11,782 stocks, iCreate rallied 8 cents in closing at 87 cents with 369,471 stock units changing hands, Jamaican Teas dropped 16 cents to end at $2.30 with investors transferring 1,050,000 shares. Lasco Distributors increased 41 cents to close at $3.93 after an exchange of 2,487 units, Lasco Financial shed 18 cents to close at $1.62 with investors dealing in 5,250 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 43 cents to close at $4.63 after an exchange of 2,586 stock units. Regency Petroleum lost 32 cents and ended at $2.06, with 969,355 shares crossing the market, Tropical Battery rose 11 cents to end at $1.91 with investors exchanging 24,496 units and tTech shed 33 cents in closing at $1.88 after 19 stocks were traded.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.