Junior Market stocks rose to 2,580.21 within an hour of trading opening at the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Friday, but the market retreated and closed with a modest gain after more stocks declined than rose as investors traded 44 percent more shares than on Thursday.
The Market Index gained 4.03 points to settle at 2,537.29 and the market closed with an average PE Ratio of 12.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading closed with 31 securities changing hands compared to 32 on Thursday, ending with the prices of nine stocks rising, 13 declining and nine remaining unchanged.
Trading ended with an exchange of 4,844,204 shares for $20,370,620 versus 3,353,944 units at $7,247,408 on Thursday.
Jamaican Teas led trading with 56 percent of total volume in an exchange of 2.72 million shares, followed by Jetcon Corporation with 14.6 percent with a transfer of 706,934 units and AMG Packaging with 13.9 percent for 671,366 shares.
Trading ended with an average of 156,265 units at $657,117 in contrast to 104,811 at $226,481 on Thursday. For the month to date, the average trade resulted in an exchange of 199,954 units at $570,000, compared to 202,892 units at $564,142 on Thursday. October averaged 230,868 units at $535,509.
The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the market close, AMG Packaging traded 671,366 shares and fell 5 cents to end at $1.49, Blue Power advanced 20 cents to finish at $3.50 with 395 stock units changing hands, CAC 2000 climbed 20 cents to settle at $9.20 with 525 stocks traded. Cargo Handlers jumped $1.26 to close at $7.60 with a solitary unit passing through the market, Caribbean Cream rose 2 cents to end at $4.09 with investor switching ownership of 87 shares, Caribbean Flavours dropped 11 cents to finish at $1.70 with an exchange of 51,052 stocks. Derrimon Trading declined 10 cents to $2.40 with 60,830 units changing hands, Dolphin Cove jumped 55 cents to $6.55 with 1,800 shares traded, Express Catering fell 21 cents to $3.55 with 11,096 stock units passing through the market. Fontana lost 5 cents to finish at $5.25 with a transfer of 62,257 units, General Accident slipped 3 cents to $6.45 with 1,000 shares changing hands, Indies Pharma shed 24 cents to close at $2.51 with switching the ownership of 142,000 stocks.
Jamaican Teas exchanged 2,715,159 units and advanced 55 cents to end at $6.70, Jetcon Corporation gained 5 cents trading 706,934 shares to finish at 75 cents, Knutsford Express slid 3 cents to $6 with 2,188 units passing through the market. Lasco Financial rose 1 cent to close at $2.66 with a transfer of 500 stock units, Lumber Depot declined by 5 cents to $1.20 with an exchange of 17,571 shares, Mailpac Group lost 2 cents to finish at $2.15 with 70,344 stock units changing hands. Main Event dropped 50 cents to $2.99 with 4,893 shares traded, Medical Disposables fell 10 cents to close at $4.30 with 12,009 shares passing through the market, Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 20 cents to end at $4.50, with the ownership of 1,000 shares switching and tTech shed 65 cents to finish at $5 with 69,629 units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
