Junior Market highest since December close

After spending the first half of January below the 2022 close, the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange has climbed 1.2 percent for the year to date with one technical indicator pointing to higher ground for the market when it closed on Wednesday. The volume of stocks traded declined 40 percent and the value 40 percent lower than on Tuesday with 43 securities trading, similar to Tuesday and ending with prices of 16 rising, 17 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
Only 7,376,918 shares were traded for $18,528,560 down from 12,267,173 units at $30,849,632 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 171,556 shares at $430,897 compared with 285,283 units at $717,433 on Tuesday with the month to date, averaging 181,703 units at $465,990 versus 182,588 stock units at $469,051 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
Regency Petroleum led trading with 1.92 million shares for 26 percent of total volume followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 1.15 million units for 15.6 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 781,071 units for 10.6 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index popped 29.27 points to settle at 4,035.96.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 13.2. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose $1.30 to close at $24.30 after an exchange of 86 shares, AMG Packaging lost 13 cents to end at $2.85 with a transfer of 8,905 units, Blue Power dipped 15 cents to $2.80 trading 100 stocks. Caribbean Cream advanced 35 cents to close at $4 after two stock units cleared the market, Consolidated Bakeries gained 18 cents in closing at $1.99 with the swapping of two units, Dolla Financial lost 9 cents to finish at $2.91 after a transfer of 710,422 stocks.General Accident popped 38 cents to close at $5.08 with 1,000 stock units changing hands, Indies Pharma advanced 19 cents to $2.87 as investors exchanged 7,134 shares, ISP Finance shed 10 cents ending at $28.90 after 737 shares were traded. KLE Group dipped 9 cents in closing at $1.71 with investors transferring 100 stocks, Knutsford Express declined 48 cents to $12.02 in an exchange of 181,010 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing lost 10 cents to close at $4.40 after 3,498 units cleared the market. Lumber Depot rallied 16 cents to $2.47 in trading 20,052 units, Medical Disposables fell 40 cents in closing at $4.75 as investors exchanged 6,003 shares, MFS Capital Partners dipped 13 cents to end at $2.72 in switching ownership of 781,071 stocks. ONE on ONE Educational shed 8 cents to $1.22 after trading 1,148,706 stock units, Paramount Trading gained 18 cents to end at $2.30 with an exchange of 241,058 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies declined 31 cents to $14.29 with the swapping of 4,040 stocks and tTech advanced 30 cents to close at $2.85 in transferring five units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.