Junior Market surges higher into black

The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange jumped back into the black on Thursday, following a 56.73 points surge in the Market Index to 4,017.12 resulting from a 91 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded after the value plunged 85 percent below Wednesday and ended with 44 securities trading compared to 45 on Wednesday and closed with 23 rising, 13 declining and eight closing unchanged.
Investors traded 4,727,854 shares for $15,265,121 compared to 54,864,891 units at $98,761,702 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 107,451 shares at $346,935, compared with 1,219,220 shares at $2,194,704 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 267,041 units at $690,139 compared to 286,710 stock units at $732,439 on the previous day. June closed with an average of 319,230 units at $854,456.
Dolla Financial led trading with 1.36 million shares for 28.8 percent of total volume followed by Lasco Manufacturing with 656,811 units for 13.9 percent of the day’s trade and iCreate with 487,029 units for 10.3 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.4. 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 two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial popped $1.99 to end at $24.99 with 300 shares clearing the market, Consolidated Bakeries rose 18 cents and ended at $2.98 while 1,662 stock units passed through the market, Express Catering gained 42 cents in closing at $5.42 in an exchange of 1,381 stocks. iCreate increased 12 cents to close at $1.15, with 487,029 units crossing the market, Indies Pharma fell 9 cents to $3.11 with a transfer of 4,442 shares, ISP Finance climbed $3.30 in closing at $23 in switching ownership of 22 stocks, Jamaican Teas advanced 14 cents and ended at $2.34 while exchanging 521 stock units. Knutsford Express rallied 30 cents to close at $11.95, with 6,707 units crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors dropped 10 cents to end at $3.89 with an exchange of 52,773 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing climbed 25 cents to $4.90 as investors exchanged 656,811 units. MFS Capital Partners rallied 15 cents in closing at $2.80, with 129,215 shares crossing the market, Spur Tree Spices shed 8 cents to $2.10 after exchanging 54,734 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 80 cents and ended at $28.35 in an exchange of 89,719 shares and Tropical Battery declined 8 cents to end at $1.91 after a transfer of 1,382 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.