Junior Market rose on reduced trading

Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Wednesday, with a 26 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded, with a 10 percent lower value than Tuesday following trading in 42 securities compared with 39 on Tuesday and ending with prices of 17 rising, 17 declining and eight closing unchanged.
The market ended with 8,696,982 shares being traded for $19,603,907 compared with 11,812,842 units at $21,832,768 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 207,071 shares at $466,760, compared with 302,893 units at $559,815 on Tuesday with the month to date, averaging 163,794 units at $329,217 compared to 159,877 stock units at $316,767 on the previous day and December with an average of 466,866 units at $1,111,272.
Express Catering led trading with 2.12 million shares for 24.4 percent of total volume followed by EduFocal with 2.04 million units for 23.5 percent of the day’s trade and iCreate with 971,348 units for 11.2 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rose 17.68 points to finish trading at 3,741.40.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 12.9, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows 12 stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging popped 76 cents and ended at $3.18 after investors ended trading 27,607 units, Caribbean Cream dipped 33 cents to $3.72, with 2,635 stocks crossing the market, Caribbean Flavours lost 19 cents to end at $1.60 with investors dealing in 442 shares. Dolphin Cove skidded 30 cents in closing at $18.20 with 1,195 stock units clearing the market, Elite Diagnostic sank 18 cents to close at $1.51 with an exchange of 9,870 shares, Express Catering dropped 20 cents to $3.80 with 2,117,976 units changing hands. Fosrich fell 16 cents in closing at $2.22 with investors swapping 100,442 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance gained 44 cents to close at $2.51 in switching ownership of just one stock unit, ISP Finance rose $1.19 and ended at $22.64 while exchanging 1,435 shares. Knutsford Express declined $1.38 to end at $11 with traders dealing in 1,825 units, Lasco Distributors climbed 25 cents in closing at $4.10 in an exchange of 27,528 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing increased 9 cents to $4.61, with 32,190 stock units crossing the market. Main Event advanced 20 cents to end at $15 in an exchange of 30,918 shares, Spur Tree Spices rallied 10 cents to close at $2.46 and ended with an exchange of 82,607 stock units and Tropical Battery popped 17 cents and ended at $2.30 as investors exchanged 28,150 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.