Junior Market inches higher

The Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market rose moderately at the close of trading on Thursday with the volume of stocks traded rising 26 percent and the value up 69 percent from Wednesday levels as the number of securities changing hands rose.
Market activity led to 39 securities trading up from 36 on Wednesday and ended with 15 rising, nine declining and 15, closing unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rose 3.95 to end at 3,448.57. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 14.5. 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.
Trading ended with 5,199,743 shares changing hands for $33,066,923 against 4,123,382 units at $19,617,436 on Wednesday. Honey Bun led trading with 3 million shares for 57.7 percent of total volume followed by Caribbean Flavours with 297,998 units for 5.7 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source with 294,424 units for 5.7 percent market share.
Trading averaged 133,327 shares at $847,870 in contrast to 114,538 shares at $544,929 on Wednesday and month to date, averaging 117,381 units at $524,214, compared to 111,727 units at $409,463 on Wednesday. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with the bid higher than the last selling price and three with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging rallied 13 cents to close at $2.35 after exchanging 15,409 shares, Blue Power lost 20 cents to end at $3.35 while 215 units changed hands, CAC 2000 spiked 70 cents to end at $7.90 trading 1,450 stock units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers increased 5 cents in closing at $2.75 with an exchange of 44,671 stocks, Caribbean Cream advanced 39 cents to $5.73, trading 1,028 units, Dolphin Cove climbed 50 cents in closing at $16 with the swapping of 29,920 shares. Express Catering shed 24 cents in ending at $5.35 after 12,991 stocks crossed the exchange, Fosrich popped 16 cents to close at $11.96 in trading 22,455 stock units, General Accident gained 60 cents to end at $6.60 and closed with an exchange of 8,240 units. GWest Corporation rose 9 cents to 99 cents, with 15,724 shares changing hands, Indies Pharma increased 16 cents in closing at $3.20 after exchanging 9,011 stock units and Lasco Manufacturing declined 25 cents to close at $4.60 with an exchange of 22,106 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.