New month bounce for Junior Market

The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Wednesday starting the new month positively with the Market Index climbing 53.30 points to 3,890.60 even as the volume of stocks traded declined 54 percent and the value 62 percent lower than on Tuesday after 47 securities changed hands compared to 46 on Tuesday and closed with 25 rising, 18 declining and 4 unchanged.
A total of 7,248,801 shares were traded for $17,264,479 compared to 15,831,268 units at $44,907,966 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 154,230 shares at $367,329 down from 344,158 units at $976,260 on Tuesday. February closed with an average of 318,024 units at $782,332.
Regency Petroleum led trading with 2.97 million shares for 41 percent of total volume followed by Fosrich with 882,264 units for 12.2 percent of the stocks trading and Image Plus Consultants with 562,434 units for 7.8 percent market share.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.8, The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2022 and August 2023.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial fell 36 cents to close at $25.59 with 5,228 shares being traded, Cargo Handlers popped 49 cents in closing at $15 after 2,048 stock units cleared the market, Caribbean Cream gained 18 cents to finish at $3.49 following investors trading 76 units. Caribbean Flavours rallied 25 cents to $1.70 with 78 stocks changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries lost 24 cents to end at $2.18 in switching ownership of 5,065 stock units, Dolla Financial shed 11 cents to end at $2.85 in an exchange of 105,206 stocks. Fosrich lost 11 cents ending at $2.99 with the swapping of 882,264 units, General Accident rose 39 cents in closing at $4.99 with 8,097 shares changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance fell 30 cents to $2 after a transfer of 50 shares. ISP Finance gained 51 cents to settle at $21 after switching ownership of 1,500 stocks, JFP Ltd dipped 25 cents to $1.70 in trading 487,595 units, Knutsford Express declined $1.13 to $11.87 after exchanging 7,445 stock units. Lasco Distributors lost 9 cents to finish at $2.70 with investors transferring 31,250 stock units, Lasco Financial advanced 28 cents to end at $2.74 in exchanging 750 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing gained 25 cents in closing at $4.22, with investors transferring 16,549 shares. Limners and Bards popped 10 cents to end at $2.75 with the swapping of 5,417 units, Lumber Depot dipped 15 cents to $2.25 after 54,162 stock units were traded, Main Event rose 75 cents to close at $11.95 with an exchange of 51,844 units. Medical Disposables shed 29 cents in closing at $4.85, with 5,300 shares changing hands, Regency Petroleum fell 52 cents to end at $1.91 after investors traded 2,970,829 stocks, following release of full year results, showing higher administrative costs that wiped out increased gross profit and Spur Tree Spices shed 23 cents in closing at $2.75 exchanging 348,494 shares.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share gained 8 cents to end at $1.08 with a transfer of 294 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.