Junior Market drops on Thursday

A few Junior Market stocks hit the Jamaica Stock Exchange circuit breaker in trading on Thursday and helped in pushing the market index lower with a 56 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded with 33 percent lower value than on Wednesday following trading in 42 securities compared with 43 on Wednesday and ended with 12 rising, 27 declining and three closing unchanged.
Investors traded 11,121,210 shares for $47,797,567 compared to 25,198,464 units at $71,304,324 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 264,791 shares at $1,138,037, compared with 586,011 shares at $1,658,240 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 233,989 units at $622,153 compared with 232,248 stock units at $592,991 on the previous day. April ended with an average of 266,661 units at $2,583,503.
Fosrich led trading with 1.86 million shares for 16.7 percent of total volume followed by JFP Ltd with 1.49 million units for 13.4 percent of the day’s trade, Dolphin Cove ended with 1.44 million units for 13 percent market share and Derrimon Trading traded 1.17 million units for 10.5 percent of total volume as the stock hit a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $1.56.
At the close, the Junior Market Index declined 21.56 points to settle at 3,748.75.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.8. 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 two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial fell $2.39 to $22.11 after investors exchanged 8,182 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 28 cents to $2.38 after an exchange of 615,122 stocks, Caribbean Cream dropped 10 cents to $3.10, with 10,000 units clearing the market. Dolphin Cove dipped 50 cents to $15 and closed with 1,443,084 stock units changing hands, EduFocal popped 9 cents to $1.94 after a transfer of 31,716 units, Elite Diagnostic lost 10 cents to close at $2.40 with an exchange of 290,872 stocks. Everything Fresh climbed 21 cents to end at $1.71, with 5,303 stock units crossing the exchange, Express Catering declined 20 cents to $4.90 after 5,551 shares were traded, Fontana shed 45 cents and ended at $9.08 in switching ownership of 167,960 units. Future Energy Source gained 13 cents in closing at $4.15 with a transfer of 403,467 shares, Honey Bun rallied 53 cents to close at $6.63 after 823 stock units passed through the market, Indies Pharma fell 24 cents to $2.91 with shareholders swapping 135,969 stocks. ISP Finance jumped $6.35 to $26 in trading 11,850 shares, JFP Ltd lost 11 cents in closing at $1.63 after 1,487,550 stock units passed through the market, Knutsford Express dipped 65 cents to end at $10.35 with investors transferring 35,412 stocks. Lasco Distributors rose 10 cents to end at $2.60, with 2,770 units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing dropped 13 cents to $4 after an exchange of 50,963 shares,Main Event increased $1.24 and ended at $14.23 in trading 146,404 units. Medical Disposables rallied 25 cents in closing at $4.85 as investors exchanged 4,364 stocks, MFS Capital Partners shed 8 cents to close at $3.10 with 153,350 stock units changing hands and Tropical Battery declined 10 cents and ended at $1.86 after 264,489 shares crossed the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.