Sharp jump for Junior Market

Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Friday, with the volume of stocks traded jumping 170 percent and the value 197 percent more than on Thursday with 44 securities trading compared with 46 on Thursday and ended with 26 rising, just six declining and 12 left unchanged.
Investors traded 16,843,959 shares for $45,142,781 up sharply from 6,242,982 units at $15,183,837 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 382,817 shares at $1,025,972 compared with 135,717 shares at $330,083 on Thursday with the month to date, averaging 266,661 units at $2,583,503 compared to 259,810 stock units at $2,675,368 on the previous day. Trading in March ended with an average of 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
Spur Tree Spices led trading with 3.52 million shares for 20.9 percent of total volume followed by Jamaican Teas with 2.85 million units for 16.9 percent of the day’s trade, JFP Ltd with 2.76 million units for 16.4 percent market share, Regency Petroleum with 1.46 million units for 8.7 percent market share and Indies Pharma with 1.37 million units for 8.1 percent of total volume.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 49.17 points to close at 3,737.92.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing stock values, averages 11.4. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial increased $2.05 to close at $25.05 after an exchange of 13,833 shares, Blue Power popped 9 cents to end at $2.12 with the swapping of 42,033 stocks, CAC 2000 lost 9 cents to close at $8 with 100 units passing through the market, Caribbean Cream rose 30 cents to $3.30, with 961 stock units crossing the market. Dolphin Cove fell 37 cents in closing at $14.95, with 58,427 stocks changing hands, Elite Diagnostic advanced 9 cents in closing at $2.59 after ownership was switched for 11,100 shares, Express Catering gained 43 cents to close at $5.19 with investors transferring 14,547 units, Fontana climbed 16 cents to end at $8.50 closed with an exchange of 29,337 stock units. Fosrich shed 7 cents in ending at $2.70 after investors traded 394,931 stocks, Indies Pharma rallied 45 cents to $3.55 with an exchange of 1,369,691 shares, ISP Finance climbed $1.48 to end at $22.98 after an exchange of 20 units, JFP Ltd gained 7 cents in closing at $1.91 in an exchange of 2,764,674 stock units. Lasco Distributors popped 8 cents and ended at $2.29 with 171,499 shares clearing the market, Lasco Manufacturing rallied 20 cents to close at $4 after a transfer of 24,554 stock units, Limners and Bards gained 28 cents to close at $2.53, with 372,225 units crossing the market, Mailpac Group rose 10 cents to $2.24 after 102,442 stocks crossed the exchange. Main Event dipped 33 cents in ending at $13.15 as investors exchanged 3,582 stocks, MFS Capital Partners advanced 30 cents to end at $3.60 while exchanging 365,191 stock units, Regency Petroleum gained 25 cents to close at record high of $2.65 in an exchange of 1,459,284 units and Stationery and Office Supplies increased $2.47 in closing at $15.75 with a transfer of 121,763 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.