Trading plunged sharply on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, at the commencement of trading for February, with an 85 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded and an 87 percent drop in value compared with that on Friday following trading in 44 securities as was the case on Friday and ending with prices of 12 rising, 20 declining and 12 closing unchanged, with the market index slipping after crossing 3,800 points in the early morning session, with the movement remaining positive for the year to date.
The market closed with trading of 2,983,475 shares for $5,327,523 compared with 19,286,403 units at $40,628,456 on Friday.
Trading averaged 67,806 shares at $121,080, compared with 438,327 stocks at $923,374 on Friday and an average of 350,850 shares at a value of $615,775 for January.
Kintyre Holdings led trading with 451,123 shares for 15.1 percent of total volume followed by One Great Studio which ended with 437,158 stock units for 14.7 percent of the day’s trade and EduFocal with 418,499 stocks for 14 percent of the volume traded. At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index sank 10.47 points in closing at 3,775.78. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers. The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.6, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for financial years ending around August 2025. At the close of trading, Access Financial dropped 55 cents to $18 with investors trading just 136 stock units, Blue Power popped 7 cents and ended at $5.62 after an exchange of 20,827 shares, CAC 2000 rallied 34 cents to close at $2.73 with trading in 1,225 units. Consolidated Bakeries lost 22 cents in closing at $1.69 with 12,500 stocks passing through the market, Elite Diagnostic gained 8 cents after ending at $1.84 with investors trading 43,495 shares, Everything Fresh rallied 5 cents to close at $2.09 with 4,825 units changing hands, Express Catering dipped 7 cents to close at $2.98 after an exchange of 22,698 stocks. Fontana climbed 13 cents to $9.23 with 2,358 units crossing the market, Fosrich shed 5 cents and ended at $2.35 as investors exchanged 14,477 shares. Future Energy sank 9 cents to close at $3.50 with 47,703 stocks switching owners, Honey Bun rose 21 cents to finish at $8.29 after 26,622 shares passed through the market.
Image Plus sank 5 cents to close at $1.39 with investors dealing in 370,035 stock units, Indies Pharma shed 10 cents and ended at $3.60 in transferring 1,262 units. Jamaican Teas declined 13 cents to close at $2.09 with 120,128 stocks crossing the exchange, Knutsford Express sank $1.48 to end at $12.82 with traders dealing in 3,292 stock units, Main Event slipped 60 cents to $10.80 in an exchange of 14,113 shares and Tropical Battery advanced 25 cents and ended at $2.98 trading 164,824 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.