Juniors slip with positive sentiment at close

Trading picked up on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Monday, with the volume of stocks traded climbing 73 percent with a 30 percent higher value than on Friday, resulting in 44 securities trading versus 42 on Friday and with 15 rising, 21 declining and eight closing unchanged.
A total of 27,482,829 shares were traded for $83,901,578, up from 15,869,218 units at $64,508,991 on Friday. Trading averaged 624,610 shares at $1,906,854 compared to 377,839 shares at $1,535,928 on Friday with month to date, averaging 473,034 units at $1,573,683 compared to 455,801 units at $1,535,803 on the previous trading day. July closed with an average of 512,709 units at $2,574,304.
JFP Limited led trading with 8.18 million shares for 29.8 percent of total volume followed by Dolla Financial with 5.43 million units for 19.8 percent of the day’s trade. Lumber Depot traded 4.32 million units for 15.7 percent of the market, Future Energy Source ended with 3.85 million units for 14 percent market share and EduFocal controlled 1.86 million units for 6.8 percent of the shares traded.
At the close, the Junior Market Index declined 11.88 points to settle at 4,130.54. The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 13.2. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for companies with financial year end that falls between November this year and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial climbed $2.34 to $27.34 after the price hit a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $30.74, with investors grabbing 59,276 shares, Blue Power declined 24 cents to close at $3.41, with 32,531 stocks crossing the exchange, Cargo Handlers lost 10 cents in closing at $14.90 with an exchange of 16 units. Caribbean Cream rose 20 cents to $4.29 in an exchange of 258 stock units, Dolphin Cove advanced 19 cents to $14.99 after trading at 184,984 stock units, EduFocal increased 24 cents to $2.98, with an exchange of 1,860,911 units. Elite Diagnostic popped 28 cents to close at $3.68 while exchanging 143,493 stocks, Everything Fresh gained 20 cents in closing at $1.37 with an exchange of 64,834 shares, Express Catering shed 10 cents to end at $5.40 in exchanging 6,025 units. Fontana fell 44 cents to $9.74, with 55,150 shares changing hands, Fosrich rallied 20 cents to $3.49 after 990,791 stocks passed through the market, Future Energy Source advanced 56 cents to end at $5.85 in switching ownership of 3,854,348 stock units as investors responded to the sharp jump in the June quarter profit. Indies Pharma dropped 21 cents to $2.94 after trading 9,631 shares, Jamaican Teas dropped 12 cents to close at $2.58, with 60,336 stock units changing hands, Lasco Distributors increased 10 cents to $3.10 after exchanging 12,385 units. SSL Venture fell 45 cents to $3.65 after exchanging 120,654 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies shed 50 cents in ending at $18.50 with 2,871 stock units clearing the market, Tropical Battery gained 15 cents to $2.80 after exchanging 331,727 shares and tTech declined 48 cents to end at $3.02 with 78,529 units clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.