Junior Market rallies on lower volume

Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Friday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 58 percent and the value falling 68 percent compared with Thursday’s activities following trading in 42 securities compared with 43 on Thursday and ended with prices of 16 rising, 17 declining and nine closing unchanged.
A total of 6,478,077 shares were traded for $16,544,909 compared with 15,501,984 units at $52,166,724 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 154,240 shares at $393,926, compared to 360,511 units at $1,213,180 on Thursday with the month to date, averaging 550,362 units at $1,093,187 compared to 57 2,754 stock units at $1,132,714 on the previous day. February closed with an average of 318,024 units at $782,332.
Indies Pharma led trading with 1.31 million shares for 20.3 percent of total volume, followed by Dolla Financial with 1.29 million units for 19.8 percent of the day’s trade and JFP Ltd with 1.01 million units for 15.5 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index increased 34.78 points to settle at 3,629.45.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.5. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose $2.44 to $22.99 after 8 shares were traded, Blue Power dropped 34 cents to $2.06 in switching ownership of 4,100 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers shed 10 cents to end at $1.90 as investors exchanged 58,622 units. Caribbean Flavours lost 17 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.03, with 56,530 stock units crossing the market, EduFocal popped 14 cents to close at $1.93, with 205,458 shares clearing the market, Express Catering advanced 45 cents to end at $5.20, with 40,680 units changing hands. Fontana climbed 77 cents in closing at $8.17 after 58,097 stocks crossed the exchange, General Accident rallied 99 cents to close at $5.98 in an exchange of 16,691 stock units, Honey Bun gained 49 cents to close at $6.75 in an exchange of 9,412 shares. iCreate dipped 8 cents to $1.52 after investors traded 17,856 units, Iron Rock Insurance slipped 30 cents to $2 after trading 3,000 stock units, Knutsford Express increased $1.45 to close at $10.30 as 29,957 stocks changed hands. Lasco Financial fell 13 cents to end at $2.37 with a transfer of 1,489 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing dipped 10 cents to $4.05 with the swapping of 10,560 shares, Main Event gained 28 cents in closing at $11.85 after an exchange of 21,203 stock units. Paramount Trading rose 14 cents to end at $2.38, with 54,500 units crossing the market, Stationery and Office Supplies declined 33 cents to close at $14.17 as 14,663 units passed through the market and tTech shed 23 cents in closing at $2.30 with investors transferring 700 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.