Spur Tree up 75% pushes Junior Market higher

Spur Tree Spices on the second day of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market closed at a record $1.75 to be up 75 percent from the IPO price, with only a small fraction of the more than 23 million shares that were placed on the bid at $1.72 before trading opened on Monday, or the more than 29.6 million on the bid at a few minutes after 11 o’clock in the morning after 1.37 million shares were traded, at the close the bid ended at $1.75 to purchase 17.2 million shares, with just 24,113 on offer at $1.76.
Market activity ended with 39 securities trading compared to 40 on Friday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 49 percent and the value down by 74 percent from Friday activities. At the close 16 stocks gained, 15 declined and eight traded unchanged.
The Junior Market Index jumped 32.81 points to settle at 3,502.98. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 14.8. The PE ratios stocks in the chart below are based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial year ends up to August 2022.
A total of 10,061,196 shares traded for $32,241,574 down from 19,875,289 units at $123,323,735 on Friday. Future Energy Source led trading with 1.93 million shares for 19.2 percent of total volume followed by Lumber Depot with 1.72 million units for 17.1 percent of the day’s trade and Spur Tree Spices with 1.37 million units for 13.6 percent market share.
Trading averaged 257,979 shares at $826,707 in contrast to 496,882 shares at $3,083,093 on Friday with the month to date, averaging 183,829 units at $819,889, compared to 176,097 units at $819,178 on the previous day of trading. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose 75 cents ending at $20.75 with the swapping of 199,203 shares, as some of the long overhanging of selling seem to be easing, AMG Packaging advanced 25 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.65, with 410,066 stocks changing hands after posting an increase of 146 percent in profits for the first quarter to November after trading on Friday. Caribbean Cream lost 59 cents to $5.30 while exchanging 207,038 units as investors reacted negatively to a loss in the company’s November quarterly results. Consolidated Bakeries declined 23 cents to close at $1.10 after 281,574 stock units crossed the market, Dolphin Cove gained 95 cents to end at $20 in trading 130,426 shares, Express Catering climbed 31 cents to $5.51 trading 23,600 stocks. Fontana increased 20 cents to end at $7.60 in exchanging 182,312 stock units, Fosrich dropped 10 cents in closing at $11.89 after 13,625 units changed hands, General Accident shed 30 cents to close at $5.99 in an exchange of 3,300 stocks. Honey Bun popped 20 cents to $9.20, with 30,034 units crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors rallied 15 cents to close at $3.25 after exchanging 57,411 stock units, Mailpac Group rose 20 cents to $3.30 with an exchange of 274,246 shares. Medical Disposables fell $1.29 to end at $6.11 with 31,057 shares changing hands, Spur Tree Spices rallied 43 cents ending at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.75 as 1,369,946 units traded and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 20 cents in closing at $5.65, with 6,830 stock units clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.