Junior Market Stumbles Friday

More stocks fell than rose as 48 percent fewer shares were traded than on Thursday, and helping in driving the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange to close down on Friday after the market moved higher in the morning session.
Trading ended with 33 securities changing hands compared to 29 on Thursday and concluded with the prices of 11 stocks rising, 16 declining and six remaining unchanged.
The Junior Market Index shot up to 2,540.66 points after an hour and three-quarters of trading and later plummeted more than 44 points to close at 2,496.22, after a decline of 9.44 points from the close on Thursday. The average PE Ratio ended at 13.2 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with 3,764,642 shares trading for $7,764,562 compared to 7,231,212 units at  $17,420,235 on Thursday. Jamaican Teas led trading with 34 percent of the day’s volume after a transfer of 1.28 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot with 24.1 percent with an exchange of 909,101 units and Mailpac Group with 12.3 percent or 463,285 shares.
Trading averaged 114,080 units at $235,290 in contrast to 249,352 at $600,698 on Thursday. The month to date averaged 160,524 units at $366,841, compared to 176,657 units at $412,538 on Thursday. November ended with an average of 193,331 units at $566,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial fell 55 cents to $19.95 with 1,500 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging gained 1 cent to $1.66 with swapping of 8,565 stocks, Blue Power gained 6 cents and exchanged 13,100 units to finish at $2.80. Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 16 cents to $1.73 in the transfer of 3,597 shares, Caribbean Cream rose 13 cents to $4.13 with a mere 70 stock units traded, Caribbean Flavours rose 4 cents to $1.64 with 29,595 stocks passing through the market. Caribbean Producers slipped 3 cents to $2.60, with 431,000 units changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries climbed 28 cents to $1.50 with investors switching 8,500 shares, Derrimon Trading dropped 14 cents to $2.31 with an exchange of 100,000 stocks. Dolphin Cove shed 41 cents to settle at $6.24 with a transfer of 600 units, Express Catering lost 10 cents to end at $3.40 with 100 shares traded, Fontana slipped 3 cents to $5.35 with 86,394 stock units changing hands. GWest Corporation edged 1 cent higher to 70 cents in trading 300 shares, Honey Bun advanced 45 cents to close at $5.45 after the switching of ownership of 45,106 stock units, Jamaican Teas exchanged 1,279,588 units and fell 8 cents to $1.90. Jetcon Corporation declined 7 cents to finish at 75 cents with a transfer of 10,006  stocks, Lasco Financial rose 8 cents to $2.60 with 78,771 units traded, Lasco Manufacturing fell 10 cents to $3.80 with 22,397 shares passing through the market. Limners and Bards gained 2 cents to settle at $2.70 with 6,318 stocks changing hands, Lumber Depot slipped 2 cents and exchanged 909,101 shares at $1.18, Mailpac Group traded 463,285 stocks and rose 4 cents to $2.19. Main Event jumped 25 cents to $3.25 with 3,076 units changing hands, Medical Disposables lost 1 cent to finish at $4.34 with a transfer of 10,840 stock units, SSL Venture slipped 2 cents to 54 cents with 10,000 shares passing through the market. Tropical Battery fell 5 cents to $1.15 with 50,919 stocks traded and tTech dropped 21 cents to $4.09 with 55,081 units crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% lost 3 cents to settle at 97 cents with 61,350 stock units changing hands.

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