Junior Market stocks close higher

Rising stocks beat out losers at the close of trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Monday, aided by a 14 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded at a 7 percent increase in value over Friday and resulting in the trading of 46 securities compared with 42 on Friday as market activity ended with prices 21 stocks rising, 16 declining and nine closing unchanged.
Investors traded 10,918,480 shares at $26,373,173, up from 9,582,877 units at $24,717,734 on Friday.
Trading averaged 237,358 shares at $573,330 compared to 228,164 shares at $588,517 on Friday. Trading month to date averaged 233,887 units at $617,962 compared to 233,694 stocks at $620,445 on the previous trading day. April closed with an average of 266,661 units at $2,583,503.
Spur Tree Spices led trading with 5.01 million shares for 45.9 percent of total volume Caribbean Flavours followed with 998,112 units for 9.1 percent of the day’s trade and Dolla Financial with 646,165 units for 5.9 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 7.48 points to settle at 3,757.65.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.8. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging climbed 25 cents to $2.90 after exchanging 1,723 shares, Cargo Handlers increased 25 cents to $16.75, with 583 stocks changing hands, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 19 cents and ended at $2.69 after a transfer of 66,182 units, Caribbean Cream dipped 19 cents to end at $3, with 385 stock units crossing the market. Caribbean Flavours rallied 18 cents in closing at $1.40 after 998,112 stocks passed through the market, Derrimon Trading advanced 8 cents to close at $2.07 with an exchange of 525,248 stock units, Dolphin Cove declined 54 cents in closing at $14.96 as investors exchanged 787 units, EduFocal fell 27 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.66 with 109,767 shares clearing the market. Express Catering popped 17 cents and ended at $5.11 after an exchange of 2,556 stock units, GWest Corporation rose 12 cents to $1.01 in an exchange of 8,564 units, Honey Bun increased 8 cents to close at $6.67 after investors traded 12,478 shares, Indies Pharma rose 12 cents to $3.15 with an exchange of 6,162 stocks. ISP Finance dropped $5.85 to $20.15 with investors trading 600 stock units, Jamaican Teas shed 8 cents to end at $2.10 with shareholders swapping 75,747 units, Lasco Distributors gained 25 cents and ended at $2.75, with 77,002 stocks changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing popped 10 cents in closing at $4.10 in switching ownership of 163,401 shares, Main Event lost 25 cents to end at $14.25 in an exchange of 2,411 units. Paramount Trading climbed 11 cents to $2.19 in trading 429 stocks, Regency Petroleum shed 8 cents and ended at $2.85 with a transfer of 198,751 shares, Spur Tree Spices advanced 11 cents to close at $2.64, with 5,012,865 stock units crossing the exchange and Stationery and Office Supplies rallied 60 cents to close at $15.58 after exchanging 5,327 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.