Junior Market inched higher on Wednesday

Trading activity declined on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded falling 41 percent and the value dropping 47 percent behind Tuesday’s trades on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market leaving the market index just above the close on Tuesday.
Overall, 44 securities trading compared to 45 on Tuesday and ended with 19 rising, 20 declining and five closing unchanged, leaving the Junior Market Index advancing just 6.87 points to settle at 4,063.54, after hitting just over 4,123 points shortly after the market opened.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 21.8. The PE ratio of each stock in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
Overall, 16,377,032 shares traded for $51,552,856 compared to 27,861,205 units at $97,674,911 on Tuesday. JFP Limited led trading with 4.48 million shares for 27.4 percent of total volume followed by EduFocal, 3.41 million units for 20.8 percent of the day’s trade, Paramount Trading, 1.37 million units for 8.4 percent market share, Lasco Distributors chipped in with 1.01 million units with 6.2 percent market share, Consolidated Bakeries and General Accident each traded 1.0 million units for 6.1 percent market share each.
Trading averaged 372,205 shares at $1,171,656 versus 619,138 shares at $2,170,554 on Tuesday with month to date, averaging 600,606 units at $2,264,947 compared to 616,634 units at $2,341,670 on the previous trading day. February closed with an average of 370,064 units at $1,402,517.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging declined 10 cents in ending at $3 after exchanging 159,587 shares, Blue Power rose 18 cents to close at $4.19 in trading 3,153 units, Cargo Handlers shed 95 cents to $10.60, with 5,831 stocks changing hands.  strong>Caribbean Cream rallied 51 cents in closing at $5.23 after exchanging 139 stock units, Derrimon Trading climbed 17 cents to end at $2.70 with the swapping of 30,411 stock units, Dolphin Cove gained $1 to close at $27 while exchanging 66,796 stocks. EduFocal lost 13 cents to end at $3.14, with 3,409,042 shares crossing the market, Elite Diagnostic increased 11 cents in ending at $3.02 after 41,526 units changed hands, Everything Fresh dropped 11 cents to $1.10 in exchanging 51,967 stock units. Express Catering rose 20 cents in closing at $5.23 in trading 44,755 units, Fosrich popped 35 cents to $16.35, with 44,152 shares crossing the market, Honey Bun rallied 88 cents to end at $10 trading 20,739 stocks. JFP Limited fell 10 cents to close at $1.25 in an exchange of 4,484,237 units, Knutsford Express fell 55 cents in closing at $7.45 with an exchange of 3,210 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing declined 35 cents to $4.55 in switching ownership of 238,630 shares. Limners and Bards dropped 10 cents in closing at $3.20 after 91,413 stock units crossed the exchange, Lumber Depot climbed 13 cents to $3.50 with 133,403 stocks changing hands, Mailpac Group shed 21 cents to end at $3.08 after exchanging 359,901 shares. Spur Tree Spices lost 13 cents in ending at $3.35 after exchanging 244,406 units, Stationery and Office Supplies rose 45 cents to close at $7.49 after trading 16,100 stock units, Tropical Battery popped 17 cents ending at $2.35 in switching ownership of 644,617 shares and tTech increased 16 cents in closing at $4.06 with the swapping of 906 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.