Stocks moved higher at the close of trading with the Junior Market Index advancing 20.25 points to 2,796.97 on Friday to be up 5.8 percent for the year so far after more stocks rose than declined following a 69 percent decline in the volume of shares passing through the exchange with 97 percent drop in value compared with Thursday.
Trading ended with 38 securities changing hands, up from 34 on Thursday and closed with 15 stocks rising, nine declining and 14 remaining unchanged.
At the close, the average PE Ratio ended at 14.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading closed with an exchange of 7,184,445 shares for $21,275,826 compared to 23,334,216 units at $62,643,592 on Thursday.
Mailpac Group was the volume leader with 31.3 percent of total volume after investors swapped 2.25 million shares followed by Lumber Depot with 23 percent for 1.65 million units and Derrimon Trading with 12 .7 percent with 914,014 units.
Trading averaged 189,064 units at $559,890 in contrast to 686,300 at $1,842,459 on Thursday. Month to date trading averaged 307,465 units at $811,066, compared to 338,928 units at $877,812 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At close of trading, Access Financial rose $1 to $22, with the swapping of 1,045 units, Blue Power lost 25 cents to close at $2.80, in exchanging 11,345 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers shed 5 cents to settle at $1.80, with a transfer of 3,500 stock units. Caribbean Cream fell 9 cents to $5, after the swapping of 5,481 stocks, Caribbean Producers gained 12 cents to close at $2.75, with 26,449 shares changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries ended 9 cents lower at $1.32 trading 86,405 units. Elite Diagnostic slipped 20 cents to $2.75, with an exchange of 3,930 shares, General Accident rose 12 cents to $6.05 transferring 2,000 stock units, Jamaican Teas climbed 6 cents to close at $2.75, with 552,675 units crossing the market. 
Knutsford Express closed at $6.75, with gains of 45 cents after trading 3,557 stock units, Lasco Distributors picked up 15 cents to end at $3.40 in exchanging 55,501 shares, Lasco Manufacturing gained 12 cents to finish at $4.32, with 157,640 stocks clearing the market and Medical Disposables rose 30 cents ending at $4.50, with 36,214 shares crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading averaged 686,300 units at $1,842,459 in contrast to 142,018 at $366,205 on Wednesday. Month to date trading averaged 338,928 units at $877,812, compared to an average of 230,573 units at $576,913 on Wednesday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Knutsford Express dipped 45 cents to $6.30 trading 1,765 units, Lasco Distributors fell 10 cents to $3.25, in an exchange of 5,001 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing rose 32 cents to $4.20, after 279,289 stock units crossed the market. Limners and Bards slipped 15 cents to end at $2.55, with 10,790,026 stocks changing hands, Main Event settled at $3.49, with gains of 19 cents trading 59,352 shares, Medical Disposables finished 21 cents higher at $4.20 in exchanging 100 stocks and tTech gained 29 cents to close at $4.85, with investors swapping 10,005 stock units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Lasco Financial fell 10 cents to $2.60 in trading 375,036 shares, Lasco Manufacturing gained 17 cents to $3.88 with 93,150 units passing through the market. Main Event climbed 18 cents to $3.30 with a transfer of 171,000 units, Medical Disposables dropped 21 cents to $3.99 with 25,194 stocks passing through the market and tTech advanced 16 cents to $4.56 with 5,377 units changing hands.
Trading averaged 456,371 units at $1,065,980 in contrast to 113,255 at $343,282 on Monday. The month to date, averaged 279,911 units at $694,307. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Lasco Manufacturing gained 4 cents to end at $3.71 with 174,629 shares traded, Limners and Bards advanced 15 cents to $2.72 with a transfer of 46,156 stocks. Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 26 cents to $4.28 with 7,402 shares changing hands and tTech shed 45 cents to close at $4.40 with 14,623 stock units crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands, the same as on Friday and closed, with 18 stocks rising, 16 declining and two remaining unchanged.
Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 10 cents to close at $1.85, in transferring 1,777 units, Caribbean Cream rose 60 cents $5.10, after crossing the market with 92,827 stocks, Caribbean Flavours lost 7 cents to close at $1.98, in switching ownership of 585,096 shares. Caribbean Producers ended 10 cents higher at $2.80, with 173,336 stock units changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries rose 20 cents to $1.52, with 983 shares crossing the market, Dolphin Cove lost 50 cents to settle at $7.50 trading 703 stocks. Elite Diagnostic closed at $2.95, with gains of 20 cents after transferring 181 shares, Express Catering rose 9 cents to $3.74, with 6,857 units changing hands. General Accident lost 25 cents to end at $6 after exchanging 2,000 stocks. iCreate gained 6 cents to close at 62 cents, after clearing the market with 16,077 stock units, Indies Pharma slipped 22 cents to $2.57, with investors switching ownership of 102,450 units. Jamaican Teas gained 11 cents to settle at $2.99, in trading 398,882 shares, Knutsford Express dipped 5 cents to $6.70 in exchanging 221 units. Lasco Distributors picked up 9 cents to finish at $3.20, with 6,285 stock units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing shed 23 cents to close at $3.67, with an exchange of 371,615 shares. 
Limners and Bards was down 18 cents to $2.57, in crossing the exchange with 2,850 stock units, Lumber Depot gained 8 cents ending at $1.97 trading 504,964 stock units, Medical Disposables rose 20 cents to $4.20 trading 40 stock units, Paramount Trading lost 16 cents in closing at $1.29 in exchanging a mere one unit. Stationery and Office Supplies rose 42 cents to $4.54, in trading 1,200 stocks and tTech finished at $4.85, with gains of 76 cents after 982 units crossed the market.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands, down from 39 on Thursday with prices of 19 rising, 13 declining and four remaining unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Knutsford Express ended 15 cents higher at $6.75, after trading 2,147 units, Lasco Distributors lost 8 cents in closing at $3.11, in crossing the market with 126,660 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing shed 5 cents to $3.90 trading 7,821 units. Limners and Bards gained 9 cents to close at $2.75, with a transfer of 635,373 shares, Lumber Depot lost 9 cents to settle at $1.89, with 383,034 stock units clearing the market. Mailpac Group gained 13 cents to end at $3.97 exchanging 359,576 stocks, Paramount Trading gained 5 cents in closing at $1.45, after transferring 54 stock units and Tropical Battery gained 5 cents in ending at $1.15, trading 900,187 shares.
Trading ended with 39 securities changing hands, the same number as on Wednesday, and ended with 12 stocks rising, 13 declining and 14 remaining unchanged. The Market Index gained 0.84 points to finish at 2,735.54.
The month to date averaged 244,500 units at $580,467, compared to 250,531 units at $592,343 on Wednesday. December closed with an average of 263,428 units for $638,694 for each security that traded.
Limners and Bards traded 1,053,372 stock units and gained 8 cents in closing at $2.66, Lumber Depot lost 7 cents to close at $1.98 with 457,000 shares changing hands, Main Event dropped 14 cents to $3.10 with an exchange of 2,000 units. Paramount Trading fell 5 cents to $1.40 with 3,000 shares changing hands, Stationery and Office Supplies shed 42 cents to end at $4.12 with 6,000 stocks traded and tTech dropped 68 cents to $4.09 with 1,000 units crossing the exchange.
Lumber Depot was second-largest volume trader with 5.6 percent of the day’s trade for 963,551 units and Jamaican Teas rounded out the top three with 5.3 percent market share and the trading of 918,783 shares as investors continue their appetite for these stocks.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Limners and Bards dropped 12 cents to $2.58 with 81,825 stocks changing hands, Lumber Depot exchanged 963,551 units and climbed 26 cents to settle at $2.05, Medical Disposables fell 20 cents to $4 with 8,000 shares passing through the market. Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 24 cents to $4.54 with 8,000 units traded and tTech jumped 63 cents to $4.77 and finished with 20,887 shares crossing the exchange.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with the bid higher than the last selling price and two with lower offers.
Limners and Bards lost 5 cents to end at $2.70 with a transfer of 194,451 stocks, Lumber Depot exchanged 1,789,149 units and fell 11 cents to close at $1.79,Mailpac Group gained 5 cents to end at $3.85 with 761,818 stock units passing through the market. Main Event rose 9 cents to $3.24 with 6,300 shares changing hands, Paramount Trading rose 4 cents to $1.44 with a transfer of 2,004 units, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 20 cents to $4.30 with 4,800 stocks traded and Tropical Battery closed 1 cent higher at $1.10 with 675,081 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 35 securities changing hands compared to 28 on Wednesday and closed with 12 rising, 16 declining and seven closed unchanged.
December averaged 263,428 units at $638,694.
Lasco Financial dropped 14 cents to $2.51 in exchanging 25,330 shares, Lasco Manufacturing slipped 18 cents to $3.72 trading 42,196 stock units, Limners and Bards lost 9 cents in closing at $2.61, with 44,572 shares crossing the market. Lumber Depot rose 22 cents to $1.93, in exchanging 153,241 stock units, Main Event added 24 cents to close at $3.24 trading 7,510 shares. Paramount Trading shed 14 cents to settle at $1.30, with 104,200 stocks crossing the exchange and Tropical Battery lost 6 cents to close at $1.04, with 316,244 shares changing hands.