The Junior Market Index declined 20.33 points to settle at 2,793.82, but plunged nearly 100 points during the day, with the market jumping sharply after just 20 minutes of trading to 2,886.96 points as investors pushed Lasco Distributors to a new 52 weeks’ high at $3.88 and Lasco Manufacturing to $4.95 with a few others chipping in.
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Monday pushed the total volume of shares exchanged up 585 percent with a value 215 percent more than on Friday. Market activity resulted in 74,563,869 units trading for $122,016,255 compared to 10,871,142 units at $38,718,293 on Friday as 38 securities changed hands, up from 36 on Friday with prices of 16 rising, 14 declining and eight closing unchanged. Three stocks traded at 52 weeks’ highs during the day but only two ended at closing highs.
Paramount Trading dominated the market controlling 81 percent of the volume after 60.50 million shares changed hands followed by Mailpac Group with 7.7 percent for 5.74 million units, Lumber Depot with 3.3 percent trading 2.43 million units, Jamaican Teas with 1.8 percent for 1.35 million units and Tropical Battery with 1.4 percent of the day’s trade for 1.07 million units.
Trading averaged 1,962,207 units at $3,210,954 up from 301,976 at $1,075,508 on Friday. Trading month to date averages 457,286 units at $1,077,386, up on 299,311 units at $853,420 on Friday. Trading in January averaged 232,651 units at $569,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers. The average PE Ratio ended at 14.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the one PM close, Blue Power gained 29 cents to close at $3.15 in an exchange of 49,552 shares, CAC 2000 shed 50 cents to $9.50 after exchanging 345 units, Cargo Handlers dropped $1.10 to settle at $6.90, in trading 80,836 stock units. Caribbean Cream lost 34 cents to end at $4.65, after 63,863 shares crossing the exchange, Caribbean Flavours gained 10 cents to end at $2.10, with 165,153 stock units changing hands, Dolphin Cove ended 95 cents lower at $7.05, in an exchange of 1,292 shares. Elite Diagnostic slipped 25 cents to $2.75 with 85,552 stock units changing hands, Express Catering gained 28 cents ending at $3.68, with 13,665 stocks crossing the exchange, Fontana finished 19 cents higher at $6.20 in an exchange of 196,663 stock units. Fosrich gained 10 cents to close at $4.30 with 91,665 stocks crossing the exchange, Honey Bun shed 50 cents to end at $5 in a transfer of 573,813 shares. Jamaican Teas gained 10 cents to a record closing high of $3.37 after hitting an intraday high of $3.54, with 1,348,424 units crossing the market. Lasco Financial gained 9 cents in closing at $2.69, after exchanging 44,500 shares. Lasco Manufacturing fell 72 cents to $4.26 after trading as high as $4.95 with 217,306 stock units changing hands; the stock closed with the bid at $4.89, Limners and Bards lost 7 cents to end at $2.48, with 224,829 stocks crossing the market. 
Lumber Depot rose 40 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.50, after the swapping of 2,434,406 units and trading as at a record high of $2.65 before the close. Mailpac Group shed 47 cents to end at $3.49, with an exchange of 5,737,107 shares, as investors reacted negatively to the release of full-year earnings of 18 cents per share, driving the stock to $3.10 during the trading session. Medical Disposables rose 46 cents to $4.46 trading 1,000 stocks, Paramount Trading lost 15 cents and ended at $1.30, in exchanging 60,499,360 shares and tTech lost 59 cents to settle at $4.11, with investors switching ownership of 10,000 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
