Near wipe out at Junior Market

Investors pushed the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange solidly into the black in early morning trading Friday, but with the market pulled back in the dying moments of the afternoon session to close fractionally lower than the 2023 close after a 174 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded, after 204 percent more money entered the market than Thursday with trading in 40 securities compared with 42 on Thursday and ending with prices of 13 rising, 15 declining and 12 closing unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index gained 15.02 points to lock up trading at 3,847.53 just below the 3,848.33 points close for 2023 and could be moving into positive territory sooner than later.
The market closed trading with an exchange of 15,974,371 shares for $35,900,988 up from 5,836,386 units at $11,800,314 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 399,359 shares at $897,525, compared with 138,962 units at $280,960 on Thursday with the month to date, averaging 228,325 units at $555,204 compared to 201,600 stock units at $501,717 on the previous day and up from January with an average of 175,081 units at $401,738.
Derrimon Trading led trading with 7.31 million shares for 45.7 percent of total volume followed by Dolla Financial with 2.62 million units for 16.4 percent of the day’s trade, Tropical Battery closed with 1.38 million units for 8.6 percent market share after the price hit an 52 weeks’ intraday high of $2.70 but closed the day lower and Mailpac Group with 1.18 million units for 7.4 percent of total volume.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.6, based on the last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows just two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, AMG Packaging increased 30 cents to end at $2.90, with 2,500 shares crossing the exchange, Caribbean Assurance Brokers climbed 33 cents to $2.42 in trading 4,084 shares, Caribbean Cream popped 40 cents to $3.90 after an exchange of 1,326 units. Derrimon Trading declined 9 cents and ended at $1.90 after 7,306,028 stocks passed through the market, Dolla Financial advanced 19 cents to close at $3 in an exchange of 2,620,637 shares, Fontana rose 25 cents to $10.50 with traders dealing in 11,370 stock units. Indies Pharma gained 9 cents in closing at $2.79 after a transfer of 82,718 stocks, Jamaican Teas fell 9 cents to close at $2.50 with 176,090 stock units clearing the market, KLE Group shed 17 cents and ended at $2.25 after an exchange of 3,459 shares. Knutsford Express dropped $1.01 to end at $11.38 with investors transferring a mere 145 units, Lasco Distributors lost 20 cents to close at $3.90 in switching ownership of 31,747 stocks, Limners and Bards rallied 39 cents to close at $1.69 as investors exchanged 30,459 stock units. Lumber Depot dipped 10 cents and ended at $2.50 with a transfer of 40,612 shares, Mailpac Group sank 9 cents in closing at $2.10 while exchanging 1,176,745 stock units, MFS Capital Partners increased 18 cents to end at $2.29 with investors dealing in 225,405 stocks and Spur Tree Spices skidded 20 cents in closing at $2.25, with 120,480 units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.