More gains for Junior Market

Rising stocks dominated trading on Friday and allowing Junior Market stocks to hold on to modest gains in the market index for a second consecutive day, with 53 percent of the stocks traded rising after an exchange of 75 percent more shares than on Thursday and values 135 percent higher.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands, up from 34 on Thursday and closed with the prices of 19 stocks rising, 11 declining and six ending unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index eked out a 7.52 points gain to close at 2,814.15, to be up 7.5 percent up for the year to date. The average PE Ratio ended at 14.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 10,871,142 shares for $38,718,293 up sharply from 6,203,871 units at $16,459,757 on Thursday. Jamaican Teas led trading with 23 percent of total volume, after 2.51 million shares changed hands followed by Lasco Distributors with 21.5 percent of the day’s trade for 2.34 million units and Lasco Manufacturing with 17.2 percent market share for 1.87 million units.
Trading averaged 301,976 units at $1,075,508 in contrast to 182,467 at $484,111 on Thursday. The month to date averaged 299,311 units at $853,420, compared to 299,016 units at $828,895 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Access Financial shed 80 cents to close at $21, trading 100,023 shares, AMG Packaging rose by 6 cents to $1.66 in transferring 3,243 units, Caribbean Producers gained 13 cents in closing at $2.79, with 16,238 shares changing hands. Elite Diagnostic picked up 24 cents to $3 trading 169,409 units, Everything Fresh gained 7 cents to close at 80 cents after exchanging 13,880 shares. Express Catering rose 10 cents to $3.40, with 13,394 stock units crossing the market, Fosrich lost 10 cents to close at $4.20, in switching ownership of 125,978 units. General Accident gained 15 cents to close at $5.40 trading 207,019 stocks, Honey Bun lost 40 cents to end at $5.50 with 35,779 shares changing hands, Indies Pharma rose 8 cents to $2.98, trading 169,607 units. Iron Rock Insurance rose 46 cents to $3.51 transferring 13,267 stocks, Jamaican Teas gained 28 cents to settle at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $3.27, with 2,505,629 shares crossing the market. Lasco Distributors picked up 5 cents to close at $3.50, in switching ownership of 2,340,543 stock units, Lasco Financial shed 18 cents ending at $2.60, in transferring 179,080 units, Lasco Manufacturing rose 73 cents to close at $4.98 exchanging 1,874,706 shares. Limners and Bards rose 5 cents to $2.55 in trading 16,660 stock units, Lumber Depot lost 8 cents to close at $2.10, with an exchange of 672,335 shares, Mailpac Group carved out a loss of 4 cents ending at $3.96, with 473,830 shares changing hands, Main Event fell 20 cents to $3.10, with 3,040 stocks crossing the market and tTech rose 61 cents to $4.70 with 200 stocks clearing the market.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 14 cents to end at $1.15, finishing with an exchange of 100 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.