Junior Market rises with falling prices dominant

Trading activity declined markedly at the close of the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded falling 78 percent and the value 82 percent lower than Tuesday, with trading in 42 securities compared with 44 on Tuesday and ended with 14 rising, 21 declining and seven closing unchanged.
Investors traded 7,788,092 shares for $17,379,281, down  from 35,689,862 units at $96,708,978 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 185,431 shares at $413,792, compared with 811,133 shares at $2,197,931 on Tuesday with October closing with an average of 361,392 units at $863,984.
EduFocal dominated trading with 2.98 million shares for 38.2 percent of total volume, followed by Dolla Financial with 1.44 million units for 18.5 percent of the day’s trade and MFS Capital Partners with 526,000 units for 6.8 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 29.83 points to conclude trading at 3,892.70.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 10.7, 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 six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial increased 50 cents and ended at $25.50 after an exchanging of 3,170 stock units, AMG Packaging lost 12 cents to $2.27 close as 392,855 shares changed hands, Caribbean Assurance Brokers climbed 21 cents to close at $3.10 with stakeholders exchanging 41,343 units. Caribbean Flavours fell 14 cents in closing at $1.29 after a transfer of 18,989 stocks, EduFocal popped 10 cents to end at $2.25 with traders dealing in 2,977,397 shares, Everything Fresh dropped 31 cents in closing at $1.49 after an exchange of 3,889 stock units. Fontana shed 30 cents to close at $11.30 after trading 71,687 stocks, Future Energy declined 9 cents to close at $3.72 while 62,991 units were traded, GWest Corporation gained 8 cents and ended at 98 cents in switching ownership of 25,790 shares. Honey Bun rose 20 cents to end at $6.46, with 10,500 units crossing the exchange, iCreate dipped 10 cents to 60 cents with a transfer of 118,653 stocks, Indies Pharma skidded 24 cents and ended at $2.90 with investors dealing in 6,289 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance advanced 17 cents to close at $2.19 in an exchange of 3 shares, Jetcon Corporation fell 12 cents to end at 88 cents after 82,000 stocks crossed the market, JFP Ltd shed 15 cents in closing at $1.46 in trading 250,400 units. Knutsford Express declined $1.42 to $11.32 with shareholders swapping 8,811 stock units, Lasco Financial rallied 16 cents to $2.06 in an exchange of 338,329 shares, Lasco Manufacturing lost 37 cents and ended at $4.55, with 8,493 stocks clearing the market. Main Event increased $1.05 to end at $15 with an exchange of 14,906 units, Medical Disposables climbed 60 cents to close at $3.50, with 1,000 stock units changing hands, Paramount Trading popped 13 cents to $1.40 after 600 shares passed through the market. Regency Petroleum skidded 15 cents to end at $2.30 as investors exchanged 47,740 stock units, Spur Tree Spices dropped 26 cents in closing at $2.19, with 47,735 units crossing the market and tTech gaining 30 cents and ended at $2.35 with investors transferring five stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.