Junior Market eyeing record close

Trading closed on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 28 percent and the value slipping 22 percent lower than on Tuesday, but the market index held on to most of its early gains at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
A total of 42 securities traded similar to Tuesday and ended with 15 rising, 16 declining and 11, closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index climbed 23.96 points to settle at 3,642.76, just 20 points away from the August 2019 record close.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages  16.1. The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
A total of 9,334,543 shares traded for $30,769,347 compared to 12,971,456 units at $39,367,165 on Tuesday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 2.22 million shares for 23.8 percent of total volume followed by Future Energy Source with 1.94 million units for 20.7 percent of the day’s trade and Lumber Depot with 885,926 units for 9.5 percent market share.
Trading averaged 222,251 shares at $732,603 in contrast to 308,844 shares at $937,313 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 323,421 units at $1,206,540, compared to 329,869 units at $1,236,745, previously. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial increased $1 in closing at $24 after an exchange of 5,226 shares, AMG Packaging advanced 15 cents to close at $3.30 in trading 149,663 stock units, Blue Power lost 9 cents in ending at $3.16 after 4,655 stocks were traded. CAC 2000 dropped 77 cents to $7.53 in switching ownership of 2,921 units, Cargo Handlers fell 21 cents to $7.30 in an exchange of 1,001 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 10 cents to finish at $2.99 with the swapping of 144,260 shares. Caribbean Cream shed 20 cents in ending at $5, with 301,934 units changing hands,  Consolidated Bakeries declined 9 cents to close at $1 in trading 160,517 stock units, Elite Diagnostic popped 21 cents to end at $3.70, with 78,665 units clearing the market. Fosrich dropped 23 cents in closing at $14.57 while exchanging 49,509 stock units, Future Energy Source fell 11 cents to $3.29 with an exchange of 1,936,712 shares, iCreate declined 7 cents to close at 78 cents after 338,244 stocks crossed the market. Iron Rock Insurance lost 13 cents to end at $2.97 with 15,424 units changing hands, ISP Finance spiked $8.50 to $38 after exchanging one stock unit, Jamaican Teas rallied 7 cents to $4.10 trading 39,341 stocks. Knutsford Express rose 10 cents to $8 with 12,150 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing rallied 37 cents in closing at $4.93 after 642,854 shares passed through the exchange, Lumber Depot rose 7 cents to $3.04 in trading 885,926 stocks. Mailpac Group gained 13 cents to end at $3.34 after trading 595,822 units, Spur Tree Spices increased 16 cents to close at $2.46 with 2,218,267 stock units changing hands, SSL Venture shed 9 cents to $2.20 after 479,032 stock units crossed the market and Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 24 cents to close at $5.99 after trading 54,587 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.