Junior Market heads north

Trading levels fell on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Tuesday, with a 29 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded, with the value 14 percent lower than on Monday with trading in 48 securities compared with 47 on Monday and resulting in prices of 23 rising, 18 declining and seven closing unchanged.
Investors traded 6,594,218 shares for $17,769,680 compared with 9,341,590 units at $20,596,072 on Monday.
Trading averaged 137,380 shares at $370,202 compared to 198,757 shares at $438,214 on Monday with the month to date, averaging 191,918 units at $524,263 compared to 199,484 stock units at  $545,636 on the previous day. Trading in May averaged 239,954 units at $648,811.
Indies Pharma led trading with 1.76 million shares for 26.6 percent of total volume followed by Image Plus Consultants with 901,230 units for 13.7 percent of the day’s trade and Lasco Financial with 575,734 units for 8.7 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index popped 42.50 points to end trading at 3,844.90, the highest close since March 8 this year, but the market has broken a downward sloping trendline that suggests a rising market ahead.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.5. 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 no stock ending with a bid higher than the last selling price and four with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging dropped 33 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $2.25 with shareholders swapping 85,524 shares, Blue Power dipped 24 cents and ended at $2.06 in an exchange of 23,107 stocks, CAC 2000 climbed $1.09 to close at $7.09 after an exchange of 200 units. Cargo Handlers climbed $3.59 to $19.20 with 200 stock units being traded, Caribbean Cream shed 39 cents to end at $3.55 with 847 units changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries rose 17 cents to close at $2.40, 2,756 shares crossing the market. Dolphin Cove popped 47 cents to end at $15.72 as investors exchanged 2,039 stocks, Elite Diagnostic dipped 19 cents to $2.20 with investors transferring 21,085 stock units, Express Catering fell 10 cents and ended at $4.88 after an exchange of 28,333 stock units. Fontana gained 25 cents in closing at $9.78, with 66,824 shares clearing the market, Future Energy Source shed 8 cents and ended at $3.93 while exchanging 114,480 units, General Accident rallied 55 cents to end at $5.30, with 20,029 stocks crossing the exchange. Honey Bun declined 44 cents in closing at $6.51 after shareholders ended trading 1,937 stocks, Jamaican Teas increased 9 cents to close at $2.17 with a transfer of 500 stock units, KLE Group rallied 16 cents to $1.77 after a transfer of 6,296 units. Lasco Manufacturing rose 20 cents to end at $4.48 in trading 100 shares, Main Event gained 25 cents in closing at $14.90 as 29,817 units passed through the market and MFS Capital Partners lost 10 cents in closing at $3 in switching ownership of 422,182 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.