Junior Market trading surges

Trading jumped sharply at the close of the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Tuesday, following an exchange of more than 56 million Image Plus Consultants shares that pushed the volume of stocks traded up by 708 percent and the value 499 percent higher than on Monday after trading in 45 securities up from 40 on Monday, with the market closing with prices of 14 rising, 20 declining and 11 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 63,417,243sh ares for $135,258,234 up from 7,848,690 units at $22,598,062 on Monday.
Trading averaged 1,409,272 shares at $3,005,739 up from 196,217 shares at $564,952 on Monday, with a month to date average of 345,350 units at $844,540 compared with 246,636 stock units at $644,016 on the previous day. June closed with an average of 319,230 units at $854,456.
Image Plus Consultants led trading with 56.39 million shares for 88.9 percent of total volume, followed by Fosrich with 1.49 million units for 2.3 percent of the day’s trade and Dolla Financial with 707,867 units for 1.1 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 9.45 points to finish at 3,953.96.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.3. 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 five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial increased $2.28 to $24.99, with 11 shares crossing the exchange, Cargo Handlers gained 20 cents in closing at $19.20 after a transfer of 411 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers shed 10 cents to close at $3.20, with 1,030 stock units crossing the market. Caribbean Cream dipped 55 cents to end at $4.09 with investors trading 13,408 units, Consolidated Bakeries fell 8 cents and ended at $2.90 after an exchange of 18,421 stocks, Dolla Financial advanced 9 cents to $2.25 and closed with an exchange of 707,867 stock units. Future Energy Source declined 8 cents to close at $3.89 after trading 560,624 units, GWest Corporation dropped 14 cents to 94 cents, with 42,365 shares changing hands, Honey Bun lost 35 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.73 while 53,341 stock units passed through the market. Image Plus Consultants climbed 22 cents to end at $2.29 after an exchange of 56,393,052 stock units, ISP Finance popped $4.36 in closing at $24.56 in trading 500 units, Jamaican Teas declined 21 cents to end at $2.12 with stakeholders exchanging 45,165 shares. KLE Group rallied 20 cents to $1.74 as investors exchanged 4,783 units, Medical Disposables shed $1.16 to close at $4.35 with an exchange of 8 stocks, Paramount Trading dropped 19 cents and ended at $1.80 while exchanging 50,000 shares. Regency Petroleum rose 9 cents to close at $2.75 with 153,859 stock units clearing the market, Stationery and Office Supplies dipped $1 to end at $27 in an exchange of 180,625 units and Tropical Battery lost 8 cents and ended at $1.91 after 511,346 stock units passed through the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.