Surge in Junior Market trading but index plunges

Junior Market trading jumped on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded surging 339 percent above that Tuesday as the value also jumped 362 percent, but the increased activity failed to prevent the market index from diving 65.96 points to 4,189.32.
Traded resulted in 73,733,908 shares changing hands at $274,328,558 up from 16,783,104 units at $59,357,222 on Tuesday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 57.44 million shares for 77.9 percent of total volume, followed by EduFocal, 4.25 million units with 5.8 percent of the day’s trade, JFP Limited accounted for 3.05 million units for 4.1 percent market share, Mailpac Group ended with 1.49 million units for 2 percent market share, Lasco Financial hopped in with 1.45 million units for 2 percent market share and Tropical Battery ended with 1.2 million units for 1.6 percent market share.
Trading averaged 1,843,348 shares at $6,858,214 in contrast to 399,598 shares at $1,413,267 on Tuesday, with month to date, averaging 727,308 units at $2,667,573  ompared to 674,163 units at $2,468,019 on the previous trading day. February closed with an average of 370,064 units at $1,402,517.
Market activity led to 40 securities trading compared to 42 on Tuesday and ended with 18 rising, 14 declining and eight closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages  22.8. The PE ratio of each stock in the chart below is based on  ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Assurance Brokers shed 13 cents to end at $2.35 after trading 64,857 shares, Dolphin Cove lost 60 cents in closing at $26, with 149,124 stock units changing hands, EduFocal rose 47 cents to $3.68 in an exchange of 4,247,474 stocks. Elite Diagnostic rallied 8 cents to close at $3 after exchanging 9,883 units, General Accident increased 11 cents in ending at $6 with an exchange of 8,445 units, Honey Bun climbed 19 cents to end at $9.99, with 8,046 shares changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance dropped 25 cents to close at $3.15, with 7,000 stock units crossing the exchange, Jetcon Corporation gained 12 cents to close at $1.20 in trading 347,325 stocks, JFP Limited advanced 11 cents in closing at $1.26 after trading 3,051,640 stocks. Lasco Financial popped 30 cents to $3.50 in exchanging 1,451,000 units, Lasco Manufacturing fell 35 cents to $5.25 while exchanging 90,711 shares, Lumber Depot gained 13 cents to close at $3.62 after exchanging 532,147 stock units. Main Event declined 90 cents to end at $8 with the swapping of 85,126 stocks, Paramount Trading lost 22 cents to end at $1.52, with 24,000 shares clearing the market and Spur Tree Spices popped 9 cents in closing at $3.79 with 57,437,035 units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.