Junior Market slips on Thursday

Shortly after the opening of trading on Thursday, Junior Market Index raced to 3,438 points but failed to hold on to those early gains and ended lower at the close of Wednesday, with the index dropping 18.39 points below Wednesday’s close, to finish at 3,388.76 as the value of stocks trading declined 13 percent below Wednesday at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
Market activity led to 41 securities trading, up from 37 on Wednesday and ended with 16 rising, 18 declining and seven left unchanged. Fontana and KLE Group ended trading at 52 weeks’ highs.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 13.7. The PE ratio of each stock is shown in the chart below, is based on the earnings forecast done by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending up to August 2022.
Trading ended with 4,133,325 shares changing hands for $14,013,135 down from 4,626,302 units at $16,070,563 on Wednesday. Future Energy Source ended with 30.5 percent of total volume as it led trading with 1.26 million shares, followed by Mailpac Group ended, with 20.6 percent after 852,447 units were traded and Lumber Depot 12.7 percent with 524,419 shares.
Trading averaged 100,813 shares at $341,784, down from 125,035 shares at $434,340 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 108,735 units at $369,086, compared to 111,609 units at $378,991 on Wednesday. October average trade was 162,777 units at $557,275.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with a bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial climbed $1.70 to $19.70 with the swapping of 15,164 shares, Blue Power spiked 16 cents to $3.27, trading 1,000 stock units, CAC 2000 rose 85 cents to end at $9.25 with an exchange of 100 stocks. Cargo Handlers shed 34 cents to close at $7.50 after exchanging 2,000 units, Caribbean Cream gained 31 cents in ending at $5.97 in swapping 3,758 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries popped 11 cents to $1.66 after 4,000 stocks changed hands. Elite Diagnostic advanced 20 cents to $3.25, trading 121 units, Express Catering increased 20 cents to $5 24,844 shares after crossing the exchange, Fontana rallied 21 cents to end at 52 weeks’ closing high of $7.20, as 291,769 stocks crossed the market. Fosrich declined 10 cents to close at $8.50, with 11,897 stock units changing hands, Future Energy Source increased 9 cents to $2.79, with 1,261,084 shares clearing the market, Honey Bun advanced 49 cents to close at $9.50 in switching ownership of 95,524 units. Indies Pharma dropped 9 cents to end at $3.20, with 26,000 stock units crossing the market, ISP Finance fell 74 cents after finishing at $47.23 in trading 642 shares, KLE Group spiked 51 cents in closing at 52 weeks’ high of $2.51 in an exchange of 14,277 stocks. Lasco Distributors lost 8 cents to close at $3.52 while exchanging 24,956 units, Medical Disposables rose 40 cents to $5.50 in an exchange of 19,400 stocks, SSL Venture fell 8 cents in closing at 66 cents as 39,200 shares changed hands and tTech shed 90 cents to end at $3.88 in trading 7,859 units.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference shares dropped 8 cents to 92 cents trading 54,325 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.