Junior market trading jumps, but index falls

Trading increased on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 68 percent and the value 66 percent more than on Wednesday with trading occurring in 47 securities, up from 45 on Wednesday and ended with 18 rising, 18 declining and 11 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 10,803,209 shares for $29,542,706 up from 6,413,927 units at $17,798,049 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 229,856 shares at $628,568 compared with 142,532 shares at $395,512 on Wednesday with the month to date, averaging 390,677 units at $5,920,615 versus 419,861 stocks at $6,880,948 on the previous day. The average trade in March ended at 509,288 units at $1,071,868
Tropical Battery led trading with 5.18 million shares for 47.9 percent of total volume followed by Future Energy Source with 1.39 million units for 12.8 percent of the day’s trade and Image Plus Consultants with 582,408 units for 5.4 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index fell 12.49 points to finish at 3,686.08.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.9. 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 indicators hows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging dipped 54 cents to $2.51 in trading 335 shares, CAC 2000 rallied 45 cents to close at $6, after just 230 stock units passed through the market, Dolphin Cove increased 60 cents after ending at $14.94 and trading 72,483 stocks, EduFocal climbed 20 cents to end at $2.20 after a transfer of 219,613 units, Express Catering dropped 44 cents in closing at $5.50, with 2,682 stocks crossing the market, Fontana fell 20 cents to $8.10 and closed with 57,034 shares changing hands, Fosrich popped 15 cents in closing at $2.70 while exchanging 157,464 stock units, Indies Pharma declined 17 cents to close at $3 in an exchange of 121,947 units, ISP Finance shed 20 cents in ending at $21 after switching ownership of 56 units, Knutsford Express gained $1.08 to end at $11.78 with an exchange of 50,517 stocks, Lasco Distributors hit an intraday 52 weeks’ low of $2.15 before advancing 14 cents to close at $2.46 after an exchange of 96,858 stock units, Lasco Financial rose 13 cents in closing at $2.53 with investors transferring 800 shares, Lasco Manufacturing lost 39 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $3.61 in an exchange of 190,085 stocks, Lumber Depot dropped 16 cents after ending at $2.20, with 191,079 shares crossing the exchange, Mailpac Group shed 15 cents to close at $1.73 46,388 with stock units changing hands, Main Event gained 59 cents to $12.89 with a transfer of 98,742 units, Paramount Trading popped 20 cents to close at $2.37, with 51 shares clearing the market and Spur Tree Spices dipped 10 cents in closing at $2.53 as investors exchanged 207,356 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.