Junior Market jumps

The Junior Market recorded strong gains in the market index at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, with the Junior Market Index jumping 48.55 points to 3,714.30 even as the volume of stocks traded declined 54 percent with the value down 58 percent lower than on Friday after trading in 47 securities compared with 45 on Friday and ended with 19 rising, 18 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 5,812,729 shares for $12,880,143 down from 12,592,410 units at $30,723,595 on Friday.
Trading averaged 123,675 shares at $274,046, compared with 279,831 shares at $682,747 on Friday, with the month to date, averaging 346,614 stock units at $4,661,588 compared to 376,466 units at $5,249,094 on the previous trading day. March closed with an average of 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
ONE on ONE Educational led trading with 1.93 million shares for 33.2 percent of total volume, following release of half year’s results showing increased revenues of 47 percent and profit before tax jumping 122 percent, but with slightly lower profits in the second quarter compared with 2022 as administrative cost jumped 51.6 percent in the quarter. Lumber Depot followed with 678,357 units for 11.7 percent of the day’s trade and JFP Ltd ended with 661,320 units for 11.4 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.2. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s earnings projections for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dropped 96 cents to $24.02, with 56 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging dipped 10 cents in ending at $2.65 with 600 units clearing the market, Derrimon Trading shed 7 cents to $2.05 in an exchange of 88,953 stocks, EduFocal fell 20 cents to $2.03 in exchanging 3,702 stock units, Express Catering increased 75 cents to close at $5.75 with a transfer of just 2,308 shares, Fontana declined 9 cents to end at $8.10, with 69,877 stocks crossing the market, Future Energy Source climbed 7 cents in closing at $4.17 with the swapping of 124,884 units, Honey Bun gained 19 cents to close at $6.30 after trading 81,172 stock units, Indies Pharma rallied 23 cents in ending at $3.33 after a transfer of 31 units, ISP Finance lost $1.69 to close at $19.51 after 1,510 shares passed through the market, KLE Group declined 25 cents to end at $1.70 as investors exchanged 15,173 stocks, Knutsford Express fell 50 cents in closing at $11 with investors trading 23,143 stock units, Lasco Distributors popped 41 cents after ending at $2.58 with an exchange of 105,353 stock units, Lasco Financial rose 10 cents to $2.50, with 6,358 shares crossing the market, Lasco Manufacturing advanced 19 cents to close at $4.30 in trading 10,118 units, Limners and Bards increased 13 cents to close at $2.34 with 50 stocks crossing the exchange, Lumber Depot climbed 27 cents to end at $2.50 closed with an exchange of 678,357 stocks, Main Event rallied 10 cents to $13.05 in an exchange of 35,706 units, Spur Tree Spices shed 7 cents in ending at $2.63 after an exchange of 88,262 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 70 cents in closing at $14.30 after switching ownership of 150 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.