Juniors suffer big drop on Thursday

Trading in the junior market declined by nearly 3 percent shortly before trading closed on Thursday but made some reversal at the close. Fall in the prices of Caribbean Producers, Lasco Distributors and Honey Bun were major factors behind the decline. Trading volume remained subdued with only three securities trading more than 100,000 shares. The market closed with 1,193,487 shares valued at $5,345,787 changing hands. The market index dropped 27.47 at the close after it fell by 59.25 points earlier, to end at 2,098.43.
A total of 15 securities traded of which 5 advanced and 6 declined. The market ended with bids for 7 stocks closing higher than their last selling prices and 2 ending with lower offers.
At the end of trading, Access Financial Services traded 8,300 units to close at $16.50 after trading at $17.15, AMG Packaging had 1,259 shares trading at $11.65, Caribbean Cream traded early in the morning session at $5 but closed unchanged for the day at $4.47, having traded 326,000 shares. Caribbean Producers traded 65,070 units at $3.90 after falling 65 cents, General Accident traded 49,000 units to close at $2.15. Honey Bun dropped $3.95 and closed at $18 with 10,000 shares traded, Iron Rock fell 55 cents in trading 1,395 shares to close at $3.20, ISP Finance rose by 15 cents in trading 8,688 shares to end at a new high of $3, Jamaican Teas traded 21,059 units but fell 30 cents to $3.55. Jetcon Corporation traded 137,712 shares and gained 17 cents to close at $3, Lasco Distributors fell 5 cents and closed with 76,820 units trading to close at $7.45. Lasco Financial closed at $3.29 with 2,800 shares changing hands having shed 1 cent, Lasco Manufacturing traded 441,563 shares and rose 10 cents to close at $4.30, Medical Disposables had 37,000 shares changing hands to close at $3, for a 5 cents gain and tTech fell 20 cents and ended with 6,821 units changing hands at $4.30.