Junior Market jumps back to 2022 close

Trading activity pushed the Junior Market Index solidly higher with a rise of 72.97 points to 3,986.25 on Thursday and just about wiped out the previous losses for the year to date as the index is a mere 0.19 points adrift of the 2022 closing of the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with trading in 48 securities up from 42 on Wednesday and ended with 23 rising, 17 declining and eight closing unchanged.
The volume of stocks traded fell 68 percent to 3,805,407 shares from 11,745,381 units on Wednesday and exchanged for a 68 percent lower sum of $9,248,824 compared to $29,354,951 previously.
Trading averaged 79,279 shares at $192,684 against 279,652 units at $698,927 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 167,073 units at $431,251 compared to 180,494 stock units at $467,720 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 333,420 units at $925,533.
JFP Ltd led trading with 1.10 million shares for 28.8 percent of total volume followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 669,061 units for 17.6 percent of the day’s trade and Tropical Battery with 350,520 units for 9.2 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial year ending that fall between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose 76 cents to end at $24.95 with an exchange of 15 shares, Blue Power popped 46 cents in closing at $2.98 with investors transferring 48 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 14 cents to end at $2.15 in trading 18,774 stock units. Caribbean Cream shed 59 cents ending at $4.01 after an exchange of 5,274 stocks, Caribbean Flavours popped 12 cents to close at $1.82 with a transfer of 3,835 stock units, Dolphin Cove fell 10 cents to $14.79 with the swapping of 6,506 units. EduFocal declined 24 cents to $2.25 after a transfer of 7,347 stocks, Express Catering lost 25 cents in closing at $5 as investors exchanged 11,771 shares, Fosrich shed 23 cents in ending at $3.68 after trading 328,617 stocks. General Accident rallied 46 cents to close at $5.07 after 307 shares passed through the market, Honey Bun rose 40 cents to $7.60 with the swapping of 1,125 units, Indies Pharma dipped 14 cents to $2.66 in exchanging 17,868 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance gained 22 cents in closing at $2.62 after investors transferred 170 shares, ISP Finance advanced $4.48 to $29.50 in switching ownership of 5,070 stock units, Knutsford Express rose 35 cents to close at $9.80 after clearing the market with 47,534 units, ahead of the release of half year results to November, reflecting a continued recovery in profit. Lasco Financial lost 15 cents to end at $2.70 in an exchange of 19,101 stocks, MFS Capital Partners dipped 17 cents to $2.83 in swapping 57,142 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies declined $1.78 to end at $14.21 trading 4,914 units and tTech gained 26 cents to close at $2.92 in exchanging 4,563 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.