Junior Market trading falls back

Trading pulled back to more normal levels from Wednesday’s heady levels at the close of the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Thursday, with a 98 percent declining the volume of stocks traded with the value 96 percent lower than on Wednesday following trading in 46 securities up from 42 on Wednesday and ended with 18 rising, 19 declining and nine closing unchanged.
A total of 5,242,797 shares were traded for $17,417,126 compared to 272,054,087 units at $419,217,066 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 113,974 shares at $378,633, compared with 6,477,478 units at $9,981,359 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 680,242 stock units at $1,251,880 in contrast to 732,972 units at $1,333,194 on the previous day. February closed with an average of 318,024 units at $782,332.
MFS Capital Partners led trading with 734,917 shares for 14 percent of total volume followed by Tropical Battery with 453,589 units for 8.7 percent of the day’s trade after the price hit a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $1.90 and Future Energy Source with 399,936 units for 7.6 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rallied 9.49 points to close at 3,751.17.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11. The average is down to this relatively low due to new company results that led to increased earnings for the Thursday report and following ICInsider.com upgrading earnings for Main Event to $1.80 from $1.45 and Dolla Financial being switched from 2022 earnings of 15 cents for last year to 40 cents for this year, following the release of 2022 full year results, with earnings of 18 cents per share. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed based on the last traded stock price and  ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial year ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dipped 12 cents to close at $22, with 11,249 shares changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries climbed 24 cents in closing at $2.24 after investors swapped 5,051 stock units, Dolla Financial gained 15 cents to end at $2.85 as investors crossing the market exchanged 243,218 stocks  Dolphin Cove rose $1.09 in ending at $15.25 with 57,649 units changing hands, Elite Diagnostic rallied 9 cents to $2.80 in an exchange of 445 stocks, Express Catering advanced 38 cents to end at $5.48 with investors transferring 5,600 units. Fontana popped 15 cents to close at $8.40 after a transfer of 68,140 stock units, Future Energy Source rose 23 cents to $4.40 with an exchange of 399,936 shares, after the price hit a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $4.05, GWest Corporation climbed 12 cents in closing at $1.08 with a transfer of 1,564 stock units. Honey Bun lost 29 cents to $6.75, with 51,922 shares clearing the market, iCreate rallied 18 cents to end at $1.68 after trading 87,063 units, Indies Pharma rose 10 cents to close at $2.90, with 21,002 stocks crossing the market. Jamaican Teas shed 27 cents in closing at $2.20 with 151,736 units passing through the market, Jetcon Corporation fell 10 cents to 95 cents with 3,984 stocks crossing the exchange, Knutsford Express declined 13 cents to $9.02 after exchanging 7,287 stock units. Mailpac Group dipped 10 cents to close at $1.70 in switching ownership of 113,259 shares, Main Event popped $1.20 after ending at a record closing high of $13 while exchanging 264,941 stocks, following the release of solid first quarter results of 39 cents per share before trading opened, MFS Capital Partners dropped 18 cents in closing at $3.33 in an exchange of 734,917 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies increased 89 cents to end at $15.10 in trading 9,521 units.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 14 cents to $1.05 with the swapping of 26,055 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.