Investors pumped 31 percent more money into trading on Thursday, but the volume of stocks traded rose by just 18 percent, over trading on Wednesday, resulting in an almost even spread between rising and falling Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market stocks.
Thirty-six securities traded up from 31 on Wednesday and ended with 14 rising, 15 declining and seven closing unchanged. At the close, the Junior Market Index dipped 13.55 points to 3,352.90.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 14.2. The PE ratio of each stock, shown in the chart below, is based on earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies whose financial year ends up to August 2022.
A total of 8,141,189 shares traded for $28,315,428 compared to 6,875,413 units at $21,664,369 on Wednesday. Mailpac Group led trading with 65.5 percent of total volume for 5.34 million shares, followed by Caribbean Assurance Brokers with 5.4 percent for 437,313 units and Future Energy Source with 5.2 percent with 422,554 units traded.
Trading averaged 226,144 shares at $786,540 in contrast to 221,788 shares at $698,851 on Wednesday and month to date, averaging 715,927 units at $2,096,977, against 801,106 units at $2,324,831 on Wednesday. November closed with an average of 160,358 units at $581,730.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, AMG Packaging rose 15 cents to $2 with 54,556 shares changing hands, Cargo Handlers gained 5 cents to close at $7.05 in swapping 4,498 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 30 cents to end at $2.70 after trading 437,313 stocks. Caribbean Cream fell 34 cents to $5.50 with 2,204 stock units crossing the exchange, Consolidated Bakeries lost 5 cents to settle at $1.35 in exchanging 105,063 units, Dolphin Cove spiked 35 cents to $13.45 with 144,316 stock units clearing the market. Elite Diagnostic shed 20 cents to $2.85 after an exchange of 7,243 stocks, Everything Fresh lost 5 cents to close at 93 cents with a transfer of 12,034 shares, Express Catering rallied 8 cents to $5.75 after an exchange of 193,895 stock units. Fontana picked up 5 cents to finish at $7.25 with the swapping of 111,048 units, General Accident gained 10 cents in closing at $6.60 trading 132,744 stocks, Honey Bun fell 28 cents to $9.30 after exchanging 11,091 shares.
iCreate popped 5 cents to close at 80 cents in trading 81,645 stock units, Indies Pharma slipped 5 cents to $3 with the swapping of 3,116 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance gained 7 cents to finish at $3.65 with 27,035 units changing hands. Jamaican Teas fell 10 cents to $3.79 after 66,006 shares cleared the market, Lasco Manufacturing declined 11 cents to $4.75 in exchanging 49,539 stock units, Limners and Bards gained 6 cents to close at $3.42 in switching ownership of 34,991 units. Main Event shed 30 cents to $3.80 in transferring 400 shares and Medical Disposables lost 5 cents to end at $6.45 after 28,061 stocks changed hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Just 31 securities traded compared to 34 on Tuesday and ended with 14 rising, 11 declining, and six ending unchanged.
Trading on Wednesday averaged 221,788 shares at $698,851 versus 76,677 units at $255,060 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 801,106 units at $2,324,831, compared to 903,146 units at $2,611,225 on Tuesday. November closed with an average of 160,358 units at $581,730.
Honey Bun advanced 23 cents to $9.58, with the swapping of 655 stock units, iCreate dropped 10 cents in ending at 75 cents with an exchange of 136,604 units, Lasco Distributors fell 10 cents to end at $3.02 in trading 18,633 stocks. Lumber Depot gained 11 cents to $3.21, with 242,672 shares changing hands, Mailpac Group rose 13 cents to $3.38, with 5,174,467 stocks crossing the exchange, Medical Disposables dropped 20 cents in closing at $6.50 after trading 8,180 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies declined 65 cents to end at $5.61, with 70 units clearing the market and Tropical Battery shed 7 cents to close at $1.25 in switching ownership of 62,000 stock units.
Market activity led to 34 securities trading as was the case on Monday and ended with ten rising, 11 declining and 13, closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index increased 39.13 points to settle at 3,359.97.
Trading averaged 76,677 shares at $255,060 down from 193,003 shares at $643,914 on Monday and trading month to date, ended with an average of 903,146 units at $2,611,225, down from 1,101,032 units at $3,175,499 on Monday. November closed with an average of 160,358 units at $581,730.
Jamaican Teas advanced 22 cents to close at $3.89 after exchanging 587,549 units. Lasco Financial shed 6 cents to $3.06, with 16,085 stock units crossing the market. Lasco Manufacturing popped 6 cents to end at $4.86 after trading 60,072 stocks. Lumber Depot lost 22 cents to close at $3.10 with an exchange of 943,890 shares, Mailpac Group rallied 13 cents in closing at $3.25, with 225,230 stocks crossing the exchange, Paramount Trading climbed 5 cents to $1.30 with the swapping of 5,000 units and Stationery and Office Supplies spiked 66 cents to close at $6.26 in switching ownership of 693 stock units.
Market activity led to 34 securities trading as was the case on Friday and ended with 15 rising, 11 declining and eight, closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
iCreate fell 5 cents in closing at 86 cents, with 100,948 stocks changing hands, Lasco Distributors spiked 5 cents to $3.10, with 60,310 stock units crossing the market, Limners and Bards lost 18 cents in ending at $3.37 after trading 136,434 units. Lumber Depot increased 57 cents in closing at $3.32 in an exchange of 4,083,632 shares, Mailpac Group declined 32 cents to $3.12 after exchanging 290,554 shares and Medical Disposables advanced 40 cents to end at $6.70, trading 19,149 stock units.
The other notable large TOP10 movers this week are; 
The top three Main Market stocks are Guardian Holdings, Caribbean Producers and JMMB Group, projected to gain between 213 to 253 percent expected versus last weeks’ 214 to 254 percent.
The Junior Market closed the week with an average PE of 14.3 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings and currently well below the target of 20 and the average of 17 at the end of March this year based on 2020 earnings. The TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of a mere 8.1, with a 43 percent discount to that market’s average PE.
The Main Market TOP 10 average PE is 8.1, representing a 51 percent discount to the market and well below the potential of 20. A total of 17 stocks or 36 percent of the market trade at or above a PE of 19, with most over 20, for an average roundabout 25, suggesting that the accepted multiple is between 20 and 25 times the current year’s earnings.
Trading averaged 4,232,879 shares at $11,695,845 in contrast to 84,664 shares at $568,851 on Thursday and month to date, averaging 1,386,894 units at $3,972,320, compared to 79,279 units at $423,673 previously. November closed with an average of 160,358 units at $581,730.
Jetcon Corporation lost 8 cents in ending at $1 with the swapping of 1,200 stocks, Knutsford Express rose 30 cents to finish at $8 with 112 stock units changing hands, Lasco Distributors lost 5 cents in closing at $3.05 with the transfer of 60,265 shares. Limners and Bards popped 10 cents to $3.55 in exchanging 15,000 stocks, Lumber Depot shed 15 cents to close at $2.75 with 141,232,699 shares clearing the market, Medical Disposables jumped 68 cents to $6.30 in trading 8,678 stock units and tTech gained 40 cents to end at $4.50 with 11,077 shares changing hands.
An interesting development in trading was the large block of Access Financial shares trading with the stock shedding $1.26 to close at $19.50, after a relatively large block of 634,113 shares cleared the market. the trade is a likely sign that the immediate future is bright for the stock. At the close, AMG Packaging dropped 9 cents to close at $2.11 with an exchange of 48,023 units, Cargo Handlers spiked 85 cents to $7.90 in trading one stock. Caribbean Assurance Brokers increased 9 cents to end at $2.40 with the swapping of 267,431 stock units, Caribbean Cream advanced 10 cents to $5.70 after exchanging 34,001 shares, Dolphin Cove lost 20 cents to end at $12.99, with 131,297 units changing hands. Elite Diagnostic declined 11 cents to $2.95 after exchanging 17,751 stocks, Everything Fresh rallied 6 cents to 98 cents, with 38,756 stock units crossing the market, Fontana fell 20 cents to $7.30 trading 40,275 stock units. 
GWest Corporation dropped 8 cents to end at 92 cents in trading 340 shares, Indies Pharma lost 48 cents in closing at $3 while exchanging 104,485 stocks, Knutsford Express declined 30 cents to end at $7.70 with an exchange of 100 units. Lasco Manufacturing shed 13 cents to $4.76 after trading 47,208 units, Limners and Bards fell 15 cents ending at $3.45 after an exchange of 46,307 shares, Main Event climbed 39 cents to $4.09 with 4,989 stocks crossing the market. Stationery and Office Supplies fell 78 cents to $5.60, with 17,333 stock units changing hands and tTech fell 20 cents to $4.10 in an exchange of 2,001 units.
The day ended with 38 securities trading compared to 36 on Tuesday and ended with 12 rising, 15 declining and 11, closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index advanced 8.09 points to settle at 3,376.20.
At the close, AMG Packaging popped 5 cents after closing at $2.20 with the swapping of 394,367 shares, Blue Power rose 21 cents to $3.21, with 20,432 stocks crossing the market, Cargo Handlers climbed 4 cents to end at $7.05 after exchanging 2,000 stock units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers shed 18 cents to $2.31, with 519,552 units crossing the market, Caribbean Flavours fell 11 cents to $1.81 with 4,001 stocks changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries declined 6 cents in closing at $1.45 in exchanging 15,049 units. Dolphin Cove popped 19 cents to $13.19 after trading 270,441 shares, Everything Fresh fell 6 cents to 92 cents with an exchange of 75,853 stock units, Express Catering increased 25 cents to close at $5.90 in exchanging 24,934 units. Fosrich dropped 3 cents to end at $8.47 after trading 13,319 stocks, Future Energy Source slipped 3 cents to $2.75, with 296,830 shares changing hands, GWest Corporation rallied 9 cents to close at $1 in switching ownership of 1,600 stock units. 
Knutsford Express gained 49 cents in ending at $8 after trading 1,734 units, Lasco Distributors fell 5 cents in closing at $3.15 after exchanging 9,362 stocks, Limners and Bards dropped 9 cents to end at $3.60, with 15,718 shares crossing the exchange. Lumber Depot shed 4 cents to $2.90 while exchanging 576,504 stock units, Medical Disposables lost 14 cents to end at $5.62, with 7,000 stocks clearing the market, Paramount Trading advanced 17 cents in closing at $1.21 after exchanging 2,000 units and Stationery and Office Supplies popped 38 cents to $6.38 in an exchange of 300 stock units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
Limners and Bards advanced 9 cents to end at $3.69 after 139,628 stocks crossed the market, Lumber Depot popped 7 cents to close at $2.94, trading 214,857 stock units, Medical Disposables declined 93 cents in closing at $5.76, with 3,800 shares changing hands. Paramount Trading fell 17 cents to $1.04 in an exchange of 400,900 units and Stationery and Office Supplies declined 10 cents to $6, with 5,795 stocks clearing the market.
A total of 34 securities traded, up from 31 on Friday, ending with 11 rising, 21 declining and two closing unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Jetcon Corporation declined 18 cents to 90 cents in an exchange of 42,376 stock units, KLE Group spiked 82 cents in closing at $3.12 in trading just 500 stocks, Lasco Distributors shed 19 cents to end at $3.01 with the swapping of 177,400 units. Lasco Manufacturing climbed 9 cents to $4.89, with 179,879 shares changing hands, Limners and Bards advanced 29 cents to $3.60 after trading 40,000 stocks, Mailpac Group popped 11 cents to close at $3.50, with 319,195 units crossing the market and Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 49 cents to end at $6.10, with 24,322 stock units changing hands.