The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange declined at the close on Thursday, with more stocks falling than rising after investors traded 43 percent fewer shares than on Wednesday.
Trading ended, with 32 securities changing hands, compared to 34 on Wednesday and ended with the prices of 10 stocks rising, 15 stocks declining and seven ending, with prices remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dropped by 28.47 points to settle at 2,536.12. The average PE Ratio of the market ended at 10.3 based on IC Insider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 1,477,937 shares for $6,120,418 compared to 2,584,097 units at $13,160,131 on Wednesday.
Lumber Depot led trading with 380,966 shares for 25.8 percent of total volume followed by Lasco Manufacturing with 300,713 units for 20.3 percent of the day’s trade and Jamaican Teas with 188,647 units for 12.8 percent market share.
Trading ended with an average of 46,186 units at $191,263 in contrast to 76,003 at $387,063 on Wednesday. For the month to date, the average trade was 107,679 units at $330,432, in comparison to 111,413 units at $338,882 on Wednesday. Trading in July resulted in an average of 248,153 units changing hands at $668,727.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows one stock ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none closing with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Blue Power gained 19 cents to end at $3.25 in an exchange of1,000 units, Cargo Handlers finished 2 cents higher at $6.55 with 4,800 stocks crossing the market, Caribbean Cream dropped 17 cents to finish at $3.80 with 1,354 stock units changing hands. Caribbean Flavours climbed 39 cents and exchanged 134,378 units to settle at $18.88, Derrimon Trading gained 22 cents to end at $2.73 with investors trading 7,886 stock units, Dolphin Cove lost 50 cents to close at $6.50 trading just a single share. Elite Diagnostic rose 7 cents to finish at $3.07 with 36,200 units changing hands, Everything Fresh slipped 4 cents to settle at 67 cents with investors switching ownership of 4,158 units, Express Catering lost 6 cents to close at $3.94 with 900 shares traded. Fontana declined 4 cents to settle at $4.78 with 25,638 units crossing the market, Fosrich advanced 10 cents to close at $3.80 in an exchange of 9,750 shares, General Accident climbed 26 cents to end at $6.60 with investors transferring 538 shares. Honey Bun slipped 1 cent to $5.09 with 2,466 stock units changing hands, iCreate declined 1 cent to finish at 69 cents with 3,138 stock units traded, Indies Pharma fell 2 cents and exchanged 22,153 shares to settle at $2.80. 
Jamaican Teas lost 6 cents to settle at $4.84, with an exchange of 188,647 units, KLE Group declined 6 cents to close at $1.36 with 47,759 units traded, Knutsford Express dropped 5 cents to finish at $6.85 with 220 stock units changing hands. Lasco Distributors gained 5 cents to end at $3.20 with investors transferring 9,000 stock units, Lasco Financial rose 7 cents to close at $2.16 after exchanging 14,100 units, Lasco Manufacturing traded 300,713 units and shed 38 cents to finish at $3.60. Limners and Bards ended 9 cents higher at $2.60 with investors switching ownership of 163,400 shares, Lumber Depot fell 5 cents to close at $1 with 380,966 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables lost 5 cents to finish at $4.95 with 3,960 units traded and tTech dropped 8 cents to settle at $5.41 with 8,222 units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
