Lasco Financial, the money transfer and the micro load lenders topped trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Thursday with 38.4 percent of all shares traded, with a value of $19.3 million, the market closed with a 1,145 percent surge in trading volume, having a 766 percent greater value than Wednesday following trading in 46 securities compared with 46 on Wednesday and ending with prices of 19 rising, 14 declining and 13 closing unchanged.
The market closed with trading of 31,160,385 shares for $41,334,468 compared with just 2,502,820 units for just $4,773,077 on Wednesday.
Trading averaged 677,400 shares at $898,575 compared with a mere 54,409 stock units at $103,763 on Wednesday. Trading for the month to date averaged 344,021 units at $625,888, up from 309,326 stock units at $597,508 on the previous day and December with an average of 326,483 shares at $898,324.
Lasco Financial the lead trade closed with an exchange of 11.97 million shares for 38.4 percent of total volume followed by GWest Corporation which ended with 11.31 million stocks valued at $10.3 million for 36.3 percent of the day’s trade, Limners and Bards closed with 3.80 million stock units for 12.2 percent of the volume traded and One Great Studio with 1.01 million shares for 3.2 percent of market trade.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index increased 18.41 points to 3,694.58. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 12.9, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for financial years ending around August 2025.
At the close of trading activity, Access Financial gained 64 cents to close at $17.65 with a mere 8 stock units crossing the exchange, AMG Packaging dipped 10 cents to $3.20 with traders dealing in 5,944 shares, CAC 2000 rose 22 cents to close at $2.16 as investors exchanged just 47 stocks. Caribbean Flavours climbed 16 cents to end at $1.42 with 117 units clearing the market, Dolla Financial increased 7 cents to finish at $3 with an exchange of 216,046 shares, Everything Fresh popped 19 cents and ended at $2.03, with a mere 33 units crossing the market. Express Catering advanced 14 cents to $3.25 after an exchange of 9,132 stocks, Fontana rallied 9 cents to $8.10 with investors dealing in 70,241 stock units,
GWest Corporation rose 10 cents and ended at 96 cents with 11,305,076 shares switching owners. Honey Bun rallied 15 cents to close at $8.50 as 7,435 stocks passed through the market, Indies Pharma skidded 56 cents to finish at $3.60 in an exchange of 111,666 units, ISP Finance sank 90 cents to end at $24.05 with investors trading 10 stock units. KLE Group slid 8 cents to $1.20 with 779 shares crossing the market, Paramount Trading popped 14 cents to end at $1.17 with investors trading 14,148 stock units and Regency Petroleum gained 8 cents to close at $3.18 in an exchange of 445,688 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.