Junior Market inched higher at close

Trading closed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market Friday, with the volume of stocks traded rising but with a moderately lower value than Thursday as trading was helped by the release of quarterly results of companies and resulting in a modest rise in the market index as declining stocks outnumbered those rising.
Market activity led to all 43 listed securities trading up from 40 on Thursday, ending with 17 rising, 21 declining and five closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index rallied 5.51 points to close at 4,015.44.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 17.8. 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 18,918,318 shares traded for $73,171,056 compared to 16,237,588 units at $73,819,286 on Thursday. Helped by the release of positive quarterly results, Tropical Battery led trading with 4.58 million shares for 24.2 percent of total volume followed by Future Energy Source with 4.01 million units for 21.2 percent of the day’s trade, Lasco Manufacturing with 2.47 million units for 13 percent market share, Jamaican Teas with 1.39 million units for 7.3 percent market share, with all four posting quarterly results that stimulated increased trading in them. Other stocks that traded over a million include Spur Tree Spices with 1.23 million units for 6.5 percent market share and Lumber Depot with 1.09 million units for 5.7 percent market share.
Trading averaged 439,961 shares at $1,701,652 in contrast to 405,940 shares at $1,845,482 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 424,167 units at $1,732,946, compared to 422,158 units at $1,736,927 on the previous day. January closed with an average of 319,395 units at $1,181,136.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose 28 cents in closing at $20.30 after an exchange of 91 shares, AMG Packaging fell 12 cents to $3.48 with the swapping of 48,049 stocks, CAC 2000 shed 39 cents to close at $7.85 after exchanging 953 stock units. Cargo Handlers climbed 68 cents to end at $7.88 in trading 115,422 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 12 cents to $3.28 with 355,804 units changing hands, Caribbean Cream rallied 25 cents to close at $5.25 in switching ownership of 4,495 stock units. Dolphin Cove dropped 95 cents to end at $29, with 137,438 stocks clearing the market, Elite Diagnostic increased 23 cents in closing at $3.49 while exchanging 22,349 shares, Express Catering declined 19 cents to $5.66, with 290,744 shares changing hands. Fontana dropped 38 cents in ending at $10.12 trading 229,418 stock units, Fosrich gained 20 cents to close at $14.40 with 24,412 stocks passing through the exchange, Future Energy Source shed 22 cents in closing at $4.80 after an exchange of 4,014,945 units. Honey Bun lost 37 cents to close at $9.70 after exchanging 416,123 units, Indies Pharma popped 30 cents to $3.31after 13,578 stocks passed through the market, ISP Finance advanced $5 to $33 after the trading of 92 stock units. Jamaican Teas fell 17 cents ending at $3.91 with an exchange of 1,388,164 shares, Lasco Manufacturing rose 35 cents in closing at $4.95 in trading 2,467,287 shares, Limners and Bards declined 15 cents to end at $3.80 in exchanging 59,702 stocks. Mailpac Group dropped 12 cents to close at $3.18 in trading 556,328 units, Main Event lost 50 cents to $4.50 after exchanging 19,703 stock units, SSL Venture fell 34 cents in ending at $1.60 with 159,320 stocks clearing the market. Tropical Battery gained 23 cents to close at a record closing high of $1.52, with 4,583,536 shares crossing the market and tTech popped 54 cents in closing at $4.45 with 421 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.