Junior Market slips up

Early morning trading pushed the index above Monday’s close for the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Tuesday to 2,556.57, but the market failed to hold on to the gains and closed the day with a modest fall after more stocks declined than rose, with 12 percent fewer shares traded than Monday.
Trading ended with 33 securities changing hands compared to 37 on Monday and closed with the prices of 11 stocks rising, 14 declining and eight remaining unchanged. Dolphin Cove closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.50.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 11.88 points to settle at 2,529.92. The average PE Ratio ended at 12.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading ended with an exchange of 5,272,918 shares for $15,658,293 compared to 5,999,938 units at $21,980,840 on Monday. Lasco Financial led trading with 38.7 percent of total volume for 2.04 million shares, followed by Mailpac Group with 20.3 percent after an exchange of 1.07 million and Jamaican Teas with 9.1 percent market share for 482,354 units.
Trading averaged of 159,785 units at $474,494 in contrast to 162,160 at $594,077 on Monday. Trading month to date, averaged 195,107 units at $565,977 compared to 197,311 units at $571,684 on Monday. Trading in October averaged 230,868 units at $535,509.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial dropped $1.60 to $20.10 after trading 8,243 shares, AMG Packaging gained 5 cents to settle at $1.60, with 24,839 stock units changing hands, Cargo Handlers lost 65 cents to close at $6.95, trading 110 units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 24 cents to end at $1.90, with the switching ownership of 7,667 units, Caribbean Cream rose 6 cents to $4, after exchanging 137,172 shares, Caribbean Flavours picked up 13 cents to close at $1.70, in exchanging 96,197 shares. Caribbean Producers lost 3 cents to finish at $2.32, with an exchange of 216 units, Dolphin Cove dropped $1.40 to a 52 weeks’ low of $5.50, after trading 47,147 shares, Everything Fresh lost 5 cents to end at 73 cents with 686 units passing through the market. Express Catering gained 24 cents to close at $3.98, in trading 5,010 units, Fontana gained 8 cents and closed at $5.08, in the transfer of 292,599 shares, Fosrich fell 49 cents to $4 after exchanging 75,552 shares. General Accident lost 10 cents in closing at $6.10, with 27,042 stock units crossing the market, GWest Corporation fell 12 cents to 65 cents, trading 10,000   units, Indies Pharma lost 8 cents in closing at $2.43 and finishing with 13,100 units changing hands.

ISP Finance gained 11 cents to end at $16.11, after crossing the market with 22,879 stock units, Jamaican Teas shed 35 cents to close at $6.50, in the trading of 482,354 shares, Knutsford Express advanced 94 cents to $6.65, in exchanging 100 units. Lasco Distributors picked up 1 cent to end at $3.15, in the transferring of 14,129 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing gained 9 cents ending at $3.85, with 10,229 stock units passing through the market, Lumber Depot lost 8 cents to close at $1.21 after exchanging 235,357 shares. Mailpac Group ended 1 cent lower at $2.16 trading 1,071,273 shares, Paramount Trading fell 5 cents to settle at $1.30, with an exchange of 29,900 stock units, Tropical Battery gained 3 cents to close at $1.19, in crossing the market with 176,737 shares and tTech fell 8 cents to $4.87, with 50 units changing hands.

Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.