Junior Market lost altitude Monday

Trading closed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Monday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 70 percent, after 56 percent less funds entered the market compared to Friday, as trading ended, with declining stocks leading rising ones by more than two to one ratio.
Market activity led to 38 securities trading versus 42 on Friday and ended with nine rising, 20 declining and nine closing unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 40.93 points to end at 4,222.21.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 13.2. The Junior Market PE ratios incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for companies with financial year end that falls between September this year and August 2023.
A total of 5,671,131 shares were traded for $26,380,670, down sharply from 18,614,187 units at $60,183,004 on the Friday. Trading averaged 149,240 shares at $694,228 versus 443,195 shares at $1,432,929 on Friday, with month to date, averaging 253,643 units at $935,963 compared to 285,898 units at $1,010,645 on the previous trading day. May closed with an average of 376,907 units at $1,638,631.
Elite Diagnostic led trading with 1.71 million shares for 30.1 percent of total volume traded, followed by Lumber Depot with 742,466 units for 13.1 percent of the day’s trade and Derrimon Trading with 606,031 units for 10.7 percent market share.
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 advanced 8 cents in closing at $3.59 while exchanging 14,805 shares, Caribbean Cream increased 6 cents to end at $4.75 in trading 20,448 stock units, Caribbean Flavours popped 10 cents to close at $1.98 after exchanging 41 units. Derrimon Trading dropped 15 cents to $2.65 with an exchange of 606,031 stocks, Dolphin Cove lost 34 cents in ending at $16.16  exchanging 48,474 units, EduFocal declined 8 cents in closing at $3, with 79,008 stock units clearing the market. Elite Diagnostic shed 10 cents to end at $3.30 after 1,707,057 shares changed hands, Express Catering fell 14 cents to $5.85 in switching ownership of 2,403 stocks, Fosrich dropped $3.80 to close at $26.20 trading 259,682 shares. Indies Pharma rallied 15 cents in ending at $3.15 after a mere 212 stock units crossed the market, Jamaican Teas shed 5 cents to end at $3.14 with an exchange of 21,751 stocks, JFP Limited declined 7 cents to close at $1.53 after trading 486,631 units. KLE Group dropped 7 cents to $1.99 with 172 stock units changing hands, Knutsford Express lost $1 in ending at $7.50 after exchanging 50,023 units, Lasco Manufacturing shed 5 cents in closing at $5.40 with the swapping of 26,902 stock units. Lumber Depot declined 5 cents in closing at $3.10, with 742,466 shares changing hands, Main Event dropped 40 cents in ending at $8.20 after exchanging 108,567 units and Medical Disposables lost 85 cents to end at $7, with 200,171 stocks changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.