Junior Market plunges

The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange suffered a big drop on Tuesday, following a 19 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded, valued 22 percent lower than on Friday, after trading in 47 securities compared with 42 on Friday and ended with 17 rising, 20 declining and 10 closing unchanged and four closing at 52 weeks’ low.
A total of 6,987,786 shares were traded for $16,424,294, down from 8,609,687 units at $20,924,228 on Friday.
Trading averaged 148,676 shares at $349,453, compared with 204,993 stocks at $498,196 on Friday with the month to date averaging 184,400 units at $456,518 compared to 197,517 stock units at $495,832 on the previous trading day. July closed with an average of 326,541 units at $843,878.
Stationery and Office Supplies led trading with 1.47 million shares for 21.1 percent of total volume, followed by Dolla Financial with 1.41 million units for 20.1 percent of the day’s trade and JFP Ltd with 973,410 units for 13.9 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped 59.53 points to close trading at 3,882.49.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.6. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are calculated using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with a bid higher than the last selling price and three with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging gained 20 cents in closing at $2.49 with shareholders swapping 580 shares, Blue Power lost 17 cents to end at $2.35, with 19,460 stocks crossing the market, CAC 2000 declined $1.45 and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of $4.53 in an exchange of 5,302 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers popped 30 cents to close at all $2.90 after an exchange of 1,008 units. Caribbean Cream rose 10 cents to $4.15, with 4,918 stock units crossing the market, Caribbean Flavours increased 12 cents to close at $1.35 with an exchange of 204 stocks, EduFocal climbed 13 cents to end at $1.79 in switching ownership of 4,260 shares, Elite Diagnostic advanced 10 cents in closing at $2.10, with 305 units changing hands. Express Catering dropped 53 cents to $4.65 with investors transferring 57,266 units, Honey Bun shed 62 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.68 after 89,092 stocks passed through the market, Image Plus Consultants rallied 8 cents in closing at $2.30 with a transfer of 257,407 shares, Indies Pharma climbed 11 cents to end at $3.15 in trading 1,205 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance dipped 31 cents to $2.10, with investors exchanging 22,991 stock units, Lasco Distributors fell 34 cents to close at $3.86 while trading 14,288 shares, Limners and Bards dipped 29 cents and ended at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.70 in an exchange of 15,055 stocks, Lumber Depot advanced 14 cents and ended at $2.15 after a transfer of 212,009 units. ONE on ONE Educational dropped 8 cents to 97 cents after exchanging 542,595 stocks, Paramount Trading lost 9 cents to close at $1.97 with 428,066 shares clearing the market, Spur Tree Spices declined 8 cents to end at $2.25 in trading 27,991 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies fell 17 cents in closing at $2.17 after an exchange of 1,474,594 units and tTech shed 54 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.72, with 2,134 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.