Traders pushed the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange higher on Friday, following an 11 percent reduction in the volume of stocks traded, with 49 percent less value than Thursday, with trading in 43 securities compared with 46 on Thursday, with prices of stocks 15 rising, 15 declining and 13 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 6,750,745 shares for $13,652,638 compared with 7,587,150 units at $26,948,198 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 156,994 shares at $317,503 compared to 164,938 shares at $585,830 on Thursday with the month to date, averaging 168,748 units at $435,824 compared with 169,577 stock units at $444,178 on the previous day. April closed with an average of 266,661 units at $2,583,503.
Jetcon Corporation led trading with 1.68 million shares for 24.9 percent of total volume followed by JFP Ltd with 1.16 million units for 17.2 percent of the day’s trade and 
Regency Petroleum with 1.10 million units for 16.3 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index jumped 44.28 points to close at 3,746.40.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed based on 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 six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of trading on Friday, Cargo Handlers declined 50 cents to $16, with 216 shares crossing the exchange, 
Caribbean Cream popped 10 cents and ended at $3.20 after an exchange of 863 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries dipped 27 cents to end at $2.13 in trading 50,000 stock units, EduFocal gained 8 cents to close at $1.87 with investors transferring 103,300 stocks, Fontana rallied 32 cents in closing at $9.55 in trading 85,227 stocks, Fosrich advanced 19 cents and ended at $2.50 after a transfer of 176,955 stock units, ISP Finance dropped $1.85 to end at $19.65 as just 9 units passed through the market, Knutsford Express increased 87 cents to close at $11 after 1,804 shares crossed the market, Lasco Distributors climbed 17 cents in closing at $2.67, with just 374 units changing hands, Lumber Depot slipped 11 cents to $2.20 as investors exchanged 27,505 stock units, Mailpac Group rose 9 cents to end at $2.05 in switching ownership of 57,030 shares, MFS Capital Partners rallied 10 cents to $3.27 in an exchange of 2,010 stocks, 
Regency Petroleum gained 11 cents in closing at $2.91, with 1,101,081 units clearing the market and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 10 cents in ending at $14 with a transfer of 10,000 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
