The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Friday with the market index slipping modestly after more stocks fell than rose and investors traded 22 percent more shares than on Thursday.
Trading ended with 25 securities changing hands compared to 32 on Thursday and ended with the prices of seven stocks rising, 13 declining and five remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Market Index shed 4.86 points to settle at 2,531.26; the average PE Ratio of the market ended at 10.2 based on IC Insider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 1,802,587 shares for $6,948,536 compared to 1,477,937 units at $6,120,418 on Thursday. Lasco Manufacturing led trading with 314,834 shares for 17.5 percent of total volume followed by Lasco Financial with 287,275 units for 15.9 percent of the day’s trade and Jamaican Teas with 286,698 units for 15.9 percent market share.
Trading ended with an average of 72,103 units at $277,941 in contrast to 46,186 at $191,263 on Thursday. For the month to date, the average trade ended at 106,169 units at $328,185, in comparison to 107,679 units at $330,432 on Thursday. Trading in July resulted in an average of 248,153 units at $668,727.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 4 cents to close at $2.09 with an exchange of 6,405 units, Caribbean Cream carved out a gain of 17 cents to end at $3.97 with investors exchanging 39,276 shares, Caribbean Flavours closed at $18, with a loss of 88 cents and 119,087 shares changing hands. Caribbean Producers gained 5 cents to close at $2.45 after investors transferred 53,750 shares, Elite Diagnostic lost 7 cents and ended at $3 in trading 1,700 stock units, Everything Fresh picked up 3 cents to close at 70 cents, with 100 shares changing hands. Fontana rose 21 cents to finish at $4.99 with investors swapping 71,200 shares, Honey Bun ended 19 cents lower at $4.90, as investors switched ownership of 5,100 stock units, iCreate lost 4 cents to settle at 65 cents, in exchanging 40,001 shares. Indies Pharma was down 1 cent trading 2,500 stock units and closed at $2.79, Iron Rock Insurance finished 35 cents lower at $2.85, with the transfer of 16,473 stocks, Jamaican Teas declined by 34 cents to close at $4.50 exchanging 286,698 units.
Jetcon Corporation lost 9 ents, in ending at 75 cents and clearing the market with 76,129 shares, Lasco Distributors lost 1 cent to close at $3.19, with 50,892 shares changing hands, Lasco Financial finished at $2.09, after slipping 7 cents and exchanging 287,275 shares. Lasco Manufacturing shed 9 cents to end at $3.51, with a transfer of 314,834 shares, Limners and Bards settled at $2.56, having lost 4 cents trading 22,468 stock units, Lumber Depot gained 5 cents to end at $1.05 with investors swapping 244,122 shares. Mailpac Group picked up 2 cents to finish at $2.02, trading 128,728 stock units and Medical Disposables lost 5 cents to close at $4.90 in an exchange of 10,810 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
