Junior Market pops on increased trading

Trading picked up solidly on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded climbing 51 percent and the value jumping 61 percent over Wednesday levels after dealings in 40 securities compared with 43 on Wednesday and the Junior Market Index popping 38.47 points to end at 3,931.97, just 1.4 percent down for the year to date, with the prices of 15 stocks rising, 10 declining and 15 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 13,232,540 shares for $32,353,607, solidly up from 8,746,352 units at $20,082,467 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 330,814 shares at $808,840 compared to 203,404 shares at $467,034 on Wednesday, with the month to date averaging 277,785 units at $626,868 compared with 274,843 stocks at $616,772 on the previous day. Trading in September closed with an average of 220,239 units at $459,425.
Jamaican Teas led trading with 5.99 million shares for 45.2 percent of total volume and was followed by Dolla Financial with 3.81 million units for 28.8 percent of the day’s trade and EduFocal with 875,847 stock units for 6.6 percent market share.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 10.9, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial climbed 50 cents to end at $25 in an exchange of 30,132 shares, Blue Power shed 22 cents to $2.71, with 20,014 units changing hands, Dolla Financial ended trading of 3,811,220 shares and gained 7 cents in closing at $2.56. EduFocal skidded 14 cents to close at $2.39 while exchanging 875,847 stock units, Elite Diagnostic rallied 12 cents and ended at $1.89, with 46,915 stocks crossing the exchange, Express Catering dipped 9 cents in closing at $4.50 as investors exchanged 4,242 stocks. Honey Bun increased 15 cents to $6.46 with stakeholders exchanging 28,974 units, iCreate dropped 11 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ closing low of 67 cents with dealers trading 102,782 stock units, JFP Ltd lost 14 cents to close at $1.47 after an exchange of 14,838 shares. Lasco Manufacturing rose 29 cents and ended at $4.89 and closed after an exchange of 15,887 units, Main Event popped 45 cents in closing at $14 with shareholders swapping a mere 388 shares, Paramount Trading gained 9 cents to close at $1.69, with a mere three stocks crossing the market and Regency Petroleum advanced 13 cents in closing at $2.25 in switching ownership of 156,350 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.