The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Thursday, with the market squeezing out a small gain after more stocks rose than decline with a hefty 154 percent more shares trading than Wednesday.
Trading ended with 31 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Wednesday and ended with the prices of 15 stocks rising, the prices of 10 declining and six, with remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index carved out a gain of 3.26 points to close at 2,457.36. The average PE Ratio of the market ended at 10.1 based on IC Insider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 4,265,667 shares for $9,982,025 compared to 1,678,856 units at $4,184,920 on Wednesday. MailPac Group led trading with 3.52 million shares for 82.9 percent of total volume, followed by Limners and Bards with 374,097 units for 8.8 percent of the day’s trade and Lasco Distributors with just 51,906 units for 1.2 percent market share.
Trading ended with an average of 137,142 units at $322,001 in contrast to 47,967 at $119,569 on Wednesday. For the month to date, the average trade resulted in an exchange of 90,508 units at $260,932, in comparison to 67,920 units at $231,351 on Wednesday. Trading in August resulted in an average of 104,426 units at $321,996 trading.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial gained 6 cents to end at $20.96, in exchanging 1,003 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 6 cents to close at $1.94, trading 1,000 units, Caribbean Cream rose 55 cents to $4.75, with 4,000 units changing hands. Caribbean Flavours shed 33 cents in transferring 12,648 stock units at $18, Caribbean Producers finished 9 cents higher at $2.40, with 4,750 stock units clearing the market, Dolphin Cove slid 99 cents to a 52 weeks’ low of $5.51, after trading 46,554 shares. Elite Diagnostic ended at $3.05, with a loss of 40 cents, with 400 units changing hands, Express Catering closed 15 cents higher at $3.50, after transferring 2,000 stock units, Fontana slipped 4 cents to $4.71, in exchanging 22,926 stock units. Fosrich picked up 10 cents to end at $3.90, with investors swapping 500 units, General Accident lost 8 cents to end at $6.40 in trading 4,000 units, Honey Bun gained 30 cents, ending at $5.10 as investors swapped 5,006 units. 
Indies Pharma gained 19 cents and ended at $2.84, with and 14,008 stock units clearing the market, ISP Finance climbed $2 in closing at $15 in transferring 1,000 units, Jamaican Teas rose 63 cents to close at $4.69, after an exchange of 3,000 units. Jetcon Corporation slipped 4 cents to 80 cents trading 9,510 stock units, Knutsford Express finished 10 cents higher at $6.90, with a transfer of 3,649 shares, Lasco Distributors carved out a gain of 10 cents to close at $3.10, with 51,906 shares crossing the market. Lasco Financial gained 2 cents to settle at $2.15, in trading 51,250 shares, Lasco Manufacturing lost 18 cents to end $3.61 after exchanging 6,000 units, Limners and Bards shed 12 cents in closing at $2.61, while trading 374,097 shares. Lumber Depot gained 6 cents to end at $1.05, with a transfer of 4,511 units, MailPac Group closed at $2, with a gain of 1 cent in trading 3,522,281 shares, Main Event rose 30 cents to end at $3.70, in exchanging 100 units and tTech shed 60 cents to settle at $5.50 with investors swapping 40,849 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
