Junior Market slips as more shares rise than fall

Trading closed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 95 percent more and the value jumping 121 percent more than on Wednesday, but the market index slipped with more stocks rising than falling.
Market activity led to 41 securities trading versus 40 on Wednesday and ending with 19 rising, 14 declining and eight were unchanged. At the close, the Junior Market Index slipped 10.31 points to 4,095.38.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 12.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for companies with financial year end that falls between November this year and August 2023.
A total of 16,085,002 shares traded for $88,518,673, up from 8,258,271 units at $40,111,273 on the Wednesday. Trading averaged 392,317 shares at $2,158,992 in contrast to 206,457 shares at $1,002,782 on Wednesday, with month to date, averaging 257,160 units at $1,092,280 compared to 234,262 units at $911,555 on the previous trading day. May closed with an average of 376,907 units at $1,638,631.
Lasco Manufacturing led trading with 6.30 million shares for 39.2 percent of total volume, followed by Main Event with 3.64 million units for 22.6 percent of the day’s trade and Derrimon Trading with 975,375 units for 6.1 percent market share.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose 40 cents to $19.55 while exchanging 4,000 shares, AMG Packaging climbed 8 cents to end at $3.58, with 32,502 stock units changing hands, Cargo Handlers jumped $1.47 to $12.52 after an exchange of 10,431 stocks. Caribbean Assurance Brokers popped 7 cents to close at $2.43 with the swapping of 14,144 units, Dolphin Cove gained 25 cents in closing at $15.50 in trading 114,141 shares, EduFocal fell 7 cents in ending at $2.78 after exchanging 65,309 stocks. Elite Diagnostic rallied 37 cents to close at $3.77 with an exchange of 18,218 stock units, Everything Fresh shed 25 cents in closing at $1.17 in an exchange of 193,653 units, Fontana rose 23 cents to $9.84 after exchanging 723,862 shares. Fosrich advanced 70 cents to end at $27 in switching ownership of 167,360 stock units, Future Energy Source lost 12 cents to close at $5.89 in exchanging 287,714 stocks, Honey Bun rose 47 cents to $8.97 with 1,900 units clearing the market. iCreate dropped 24 cents to end at $2.51 after trading 247,904 units, Indies Pharma fell 8 cents in closing at $3, with 14,065 stocks crossing the market, Jetcon Corporation lost 10 cents to $1.10, with 658,567 shares crossing the market. Knutsford Express rallied 89 cents to close at $8.40 after 150 stock units crossed the exchange, Lasco Distributors popped 14 cents to $3.44 after exchanging 22,979 stock units, Lasco Financial climbed 8 cents in closing at $3.48 in trading 10,989 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing fell 40 cents in ending at $5 after 6,300,026 shares crossed the market, Medical Disposables gained 40 cents to end at $7.40 while exchanging ten units and Stationery and Office Supplies increased $1.88 to end at $11.98 after trading 73,635 shares.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share rose 15 cents to $1.16 with the swapping of 30,000 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.