Juniors gain 9.5% in January

The junior market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange made moderate gains on in trading on Tuesday, but that was enough to land it with a rise of 9.5 percent for the first month of the year. The market on all trading days except for moderate declines on only two days.
The junior index gained 8.48 points at the close to sit at 2,840.12 as 19 securities traded, 3 more than on Monday, with the prices of 7 rising and 9 declining.
The market closed with 10 stocks with bids higher than their last sale and 1 with a lower offer than the last sale, signalling a continuation of gains ahead.
The market ended with very low volume of stocks changing hands, ending at 1,610,629 units valued at $10,783,120 passing through the market, compared to 426,481 units valued at $2,702,243, on Monday.
An average of 84,770 units with an average value of $567,533 traded, compared to 26,655 units with an average value of $168,890 on the previous trading day. The average for the month to date is 165,547 units with an average value of $884,749 versus 169,586 units with an average value of $900,610 for the preceding trading day. The average for December, ended at 131,147 units, with an average value of $672,488.
At the close of trading, Blue Power closed with 1,720 units changing hands at $40.40, after it traded at an intraday high of $43.05, CAC 2000 traded 7,800 units to end at $6.10 after falling 30 cents, Cargo Handlers ended at $20.50, after 3,043 shares were traded. Caribbean Cream exchanged 19,777 shares and rose 15 cents, to close at $7.51, Caribbean Flavours put through 1,800 units to end at $9.50, Caribbean Producers rose 30 cents in trading 4,400 units at $4.35, Consolidated Bakeries lost 1 cent in trading 206,844 shares to close at $3. Derrimon Trading ended at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.45 with 100,000 shares changing hands, after rising by 55 cents, Dolphin Cove ended at $14.40 with 4,407 shares trading to gain 40 cents. Honey Bun climbed 1 cent and closed with 17,135 shares changing hands at $6.91, Jamaican Teas traded 52,484 shares to close at $8.81 after declining by 69 cents, Jetcon Corporation closed trading with 141,658 shares, to end with a loss of 88 cents to $9.54. KLE Group gained 30 cents and ended with 5,300 units changing hands at $2.80, Lasco Distributors ended trading with 895,981 units changing hands to end at $7.30 after gaining 30 cents, Lasco Financial had 7,202 shares changing hands and fell 8 cents to end at $3.92. Lasco Manufacturing with 75,371 units changing hands, closed with a loss of 7 cents at $5.13, Medical Disposables closed with a loss of 30 cents at $5.60 with 21,586 shares changing hands. Paramount Trading closed with a loss of 10 cents at $3 with 34,921 shares changing hands and tTech closed trading with 2,200 units changing hands to end at $6.60 after falling 30 cents.