The Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market ended trading on Monday at another new record closing high, with the market Index popping 55.08 points to settle at 3,751.02, to be up 9.4 percent for January after hitting a peak of 3,770.13 in the early morning session following new highs last week for the first time since late 2019.
All 43 listed securities traded compared to 42 on Friday and ended with 26 rising, 10 declining, while seven closed unchanged. AMG Packaging, Dolphin Cove, Fontana, Paramount Trading and Spur Tree Spices traded at 52 weeks’ highs during the day.
The volume of stocks trading rose 40 percent as the value climbed 55 percent higher than on Friday, with 13,836,620 shares traded for $53,925,461, up from 9,892,920 units at $34,889,559 on Friday. Recently listed Spur Tree Spices led trading with 3.89 million shares for 28.1 percent of total volume followed by Lumber Depot, 1.40 million units for 10.1 percent of the day’s trade and Everything Fresh with 974,543 units for 7 percent market share.
Trading averaged 321,782 shares at $1,254,080 in contrast to 235,546 shares at $830,704 on Friday and the month to date averaging 319,395 units at $1,181,136, compared to 319,265 units at $1,177,146 on Friday. 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 two stocks with lower offers.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 16.7. The PE ratios stock in the chart below are based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
At the close, Access Financial lost $2.49 after ending at $22.51 after trading as high as $25.33 in an exchange of 53,695 shares, following the release of the third quarter results to December, AMG Packaging climbed 31 cents to t $3.90 with an exchange of 438,075 units, Cargo Handlers advanced 15 cents to $7, with 10,100 stock units changing hands. Dolphin Cove popped $1.01 to end at a 52 record closing high of $27 with the swapping of 317,565 stocks, after hitting an intraday high of $29.60. Elite Diagnostic dropped 12 cents in closing at $3.61 in switching ownership of 76,366 stock units, Everything Fresh gained 10 cents to $1.20 in trading 974,543 units. Express Catering shed 25 cents to end at $4.80 with 262,034 shares crossing the exchange, Fontana rallied 69 cents to close at a record high of $8.79 after exchanging 236,604 stocks, Indies Pharma increased 10 cents in closing at $3.10, after 36,148 stocks crossed the market. ISP Finance rose $1 to $38 after trading 10 units, Jamaican Teas climbed 8 cents to $4.32 with 694,605 stock units changing hands, Jetcon Corporation gained 8 cents in closing at 94 cents after finishing trading 402,561 shares. Lasco Distributors popped 16 cents to $3.39 after exchanging 190,493 units, Lasco Financial declined 7 cents to end at $3, with 318,392 stock units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing increased 15 cents to close at $4.80 in exchanging 279,887 stocks. Limners and Bards rose 7 cents in ending at $3.40 while exchanging 785,560 shares, Lumber Depot advanced 20 cents in closing at $3.40 after trading 1,401,602 units, Mailpac Group rallied 12 cents to end at $3.40 in exchanging 737,880 stocks. Medical Disposables increased 28 cents to $7 after 500 stock units crossed the market, Spur Tree Spices advanced 13 cents to end at a record close of $2.89 with the swapping of 3,892,221 shares, after the stock price hit $3 during the trading session, SSL Venture fell 23 cents to end at $1.50 in an exchange of 115,858 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies gained 10 cents to close at $6 with an exchange of 100,667 stocks and tTech rallied 10 cents to $4.10 after trading 12,100 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.