Junior Market Plunges

Stocks fell sharply on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Wednesday, with the Market Index dropping 73.38 points to 4,327.00 while the volume of stocks traded declined 21 percent and the value fell 25 percent compared to Tuesday, with 43 securities changing hands versus 41 on Tuesday and ended, with 11 rising, 21 declining and 11 closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for companies with financial year end that falls between November this year and August 2023.
A total of 8,163,412 shares traded at $33,704,615, down from 10,329,555 units at $45,186,051 on Tuesday. Trading on Wednesday averaged 189,847 shares at $783,828 in contrast to 251,940 shares at $1,102,099 on Tuesday, with month to date, averaging 839,993 units at an average of $4,580,042 compared to 922,459 units at $5,061,568 on the preceding trading day. June closed with an average of 429,016 units at $1,630,104.
Lasco Distributors led trading with 1.43 million shares for 17.5 percent of total volume, followed by Dolla Financial with 1.11 million units for 13.6 percent of the day’s trade, Jamaican Teas chipped in with 1.08 million units for 13.2 percent of market share and Jetcon Corporation, 1.0 million units for 12.3 percent of the day’s trade.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dropped $1.88 to close at $21.36, with 2,579 shares crossing the exchange, Blue Power shed 24 cents in ending at $3.41 with an exchange of 22,782 stocks, Cargo Handlers dived $2.74 to $11.21 while exchanging 2,207 units. EduFocal fell 18 cents to $2.51 after trading 250,646 stock units, Elite Diagnostic lost 10 cents in closing at $3.50, with 110,935 units changing hands, Express Catering dropped 19 cents to close at $5.90 in an exchange of 9,799 shares. Fontana lost 30 cents in ending at $10 with the swapping of 81,546 stock units, Fosrich advanced 14 cents to $37.18, with 261,935 stocks crossing the market, General Accident rose 15 cents in closing at $6.15 in trading 5,000 stock units. GWest Corporation shed 19 cents to end at $1.03 after exchanging 6,542 units, Honey Bun fell 15 cents to $8.60 after 704 stocks changed hands, iCreate declined 15 cents to $4 in trading 388,776 shares. Knutsford Express fell 69 cents to close at $7.25 after exchanging 487 shares, Lasco Distributors dropped 27 cents in closing at $3.10 and clearing the market of 1,431,748 units, Lasco Manufacturing declined 20 cents to end at $4.50 in switching ownership of 114,739 stocks. Main Event gained 40 cents to close at $8, with 9,314 stock units crossing the market and Stationery and Office Supplies rallied 35 cents in closing at $13.35 in exchanging 21,866 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.