The Junior Market Index recovers 20.28 points of the 32 it lost on Monday to close at 2,601.68 on Tuesday as trading activity remained close to Monday levels with 30 securities changing hands on both days.
Trading resulted in an exchange of 5,099,168 units valued at $15,226,012 compared to 4,645,198 units valued at $13,350,189 on Monday. At the close of market activities, the prices of 14 securities advanced, ten declined and six remained unchanged. The PE ratio of the market ended at 10.1 times IC Insider.com projected 2020-21 earnings.
Limners and Bards stock price rose 40 cents as it controlled 24 percent of the overall market volume, with 1.2 million units traded on the heels of its recently announced 52 percent year-over-year increase in net profits for the six months ending April. Mailpac Group held 25 percent of the volume with 1.27 million shares traded and Lasco Distributors 592,000 shares for 12 percent market share rounded out the top three.
Trading concluded with an average of 169,972 units at $507,534 for each security traded, in contrast to 154,840 units for an average of $445,006 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 172,874 units at $420,020 and previously 173,151 units valued at $411,659. In contrast, May closed with an average of 150,274 units for $491,077 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows two stock ended with bids higher than its last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial climbed $2.24 to settle at $24.75 at with a mere 50 shares changing hands, Blue Power dropped 26 cents in the exchange of 147,395 stock units to end at $3.60, Cargo Handlers rose 34 cents to $7.84 with a transfer of 655 units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 4 cents in the swapping of 15,350 shares to finish at $2.20, Caribbean Cream closed trading of 1,000 units and gained 8 cents to end at $2.88, Caribbean Flavours fell 50 cents to close at $14 with an exchange of 2,000 shares. Caribbean Producers gained 1 cent to end at $2.37 with 279,690 stock units passing through the market, Everything Fresh dipped 2 cents to 80 cents with 49,258 units changing hands, Express Catering jumped 60 cents to $4.90 with 23,498 shares traded. Fontana gained 4 cents and exchanged 363,036 shares to close at $5.50, Fosrich shed 24 cents in trading 62,922 units to finish at $3.56, General Accident declined 20 cents to $5.30, trading 212,864 stock units. Honey Bun closed trading of 123,257 units and gained 35 cents to end at $5.45, iCreate moved 1 cent higher to 56 cents with an exchange of 47,797 units, Indies Pharma slipped 10 cents in trading 52,511 shares to finish at $2.90. 
Jamaican Teas ended at $4.49 after losing 1 cent and exchanging 272,114 stock units, Jetcon Corporation rose 22 cents to $1.32 with the swapping of 149,487 shares, Lasco Distributors closed 3 cents higher at $2.98, with 592,454 stock units trading. Lasco Financial climbed 3 cents and exchanged 2,000 shares to finish at $2.54, Lasco Manufacturing lost 11 cents in trading 70,050 units to settle at $3.89, Limners and Bards closed 40 cents higher at $2.90, with 1,224,292 stock units changing hands. Mailpac Group added 5 cents to end at $1.94 with 1,268,543 shares crossing the exchange, Main Event finished at $4.48 after rising 40 cents and trading 8,753 units and Medical Disposables ended with a loss of 1 cent at $6.69 with 800 stock units changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
At the close, the JSE All Jamaican Composite Index declined by 582.32 points to 412,724.71, the JSE Market Index shed 520.97 points to 376,393.70 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.33 points to 97.66. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.7, while the Main Market ended at 15.0 times ICInsider.com projected 2020-21 earnings.
The average volume for the month to date amounts to 409,897 units at $4,965,016 for each security changing hands, compared to 409,048 units with an average of $5,195,213. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
JMMB Group shed 48 cents with 349,918 shares changing hands to end at $33.52, Kingston Wharves finished $1.98 lower at $57, with an exchange of 7,949 units. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy dropped $5 to close at $165, trading 1,052 units, NCB Financial Group gained 53 cents after swapping 84,261 shares to settle at $142.50, Proven Investments shed 48 cents to close at $35.50, with 2,158 units changing hands. Sagicor Group closed $1.50 lower after transferring 115,506 shares to end at $45 and Seprod dropped $3 to settle at $50 in trading 110,922 shares.
First Citizens Bank ended 47 cents lower at $45.50, trading 2,316 units. One Caribbean Media finished at $5.45, with a loss of 5 cents after swapping 12,438 stock units and Trinidad and Tobago NGL ended, with 815 units at $18.98, changing hands after losing 1 cent.
Trading ended, with 374,138 unit passing through the market for $3,334,337 compared to 570,976 shares for $1,744,334 on Friday.
JMMB Group ended at $1.95, with 10,953 stock units crossing the market. National Flour remained at $1.90, after transferring 498 units, Republic Financial Holdings closed at $133, with 10,100 stock units changing hands, Trinidad & Tobago NGL exchanged of 650 units at $18.99, Trinidad Cement traded 62,757 shares at $2 and Unilever Caribbean held firm at $16.99, with 850 units crossing the exchange.
Trading on the finished with 30 securities changing hands, resulting in an exchange of 4,645,198 units valued at $13,350,189 compared to 2,764,337 units valued at $7,742,462 on Friday.
At the close of the market, Access Financial declined $2.24 in trading of 4,500 units at $22.51, CAC 2000 lost $1.40 in exchanging 4,718 units at a 52 weeks’ closing low of $8, Cargo Handlers closed 50 cents higher at $7.50, trading 25,181 stock units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 8 cents and ended with 5,133 stock units changing hands at $2.24, Caribbean Producers lost 4 cents in trading of 954,039 units at $2.36, Express Catering ended trading with 16,529 shares, after rising 10 cents to end at $4.30. Fontana dipped 51 cents in trading of 276,289 units at $5.46, Honey Bun ended market activity exchanging 201,000 shares to close at $5.10, after falling 23 cents. iCreate lost 3 cents in trading of 457,276 units at 55 cents, Indies Pharma closed trading of 957,799 units and gained 7 cents to end at $3, Jetcon Corporation closed trading of 106,326 units and gained 20 cents to end at $1.10. Lasco Distributors ended with a loss of 1 cent at $2.95 with 75,054 stock units changing hands, 
Lasco Financial ended market activity exchanging 7,000 shares to close at $2.51 after falling 13 cents, Lasco Manufacturing ended market activity exchanging 119,598 shares to close at $4, after falling 5 cents. Limners and Bards climbed 35 cents, exchanging 537,280 shares at $2.50. Mailpac Group gained 1 cent with 284,048 shares changing hands at $1.89, Main Event dipped 32cents in trading35,314 units at $4.08, Medical Disposables rose 1 cent to end at $6.70 trading 10,000 shares and SSL Venture declined by 4 cents to settle at 75 cents after 25,931 shares crossed the market.
The market closed with the prices of two stocks advancing and two declining. Trading ended with 442,807 shares with a value of US$25,355 changing hands, in contrast to 701,862 shares at US$78,028 on Friday.
Securities trading on Monday, averaged 401,316 units at $1,930,884, in contrast to 576,109 units valued at an average of $4,671,864 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 409,048 units valued at $5,195,213 for each security changing hands, compared to 409,744 units with an average value of $5,519,274. Trading in May resulted in an average of 475,543 units valued at $3,077,280 for each security.
Jamaica Stock Exchange rose 50 cents after transferring 47,598 stock units to settle at $23, Kingston Wharves climbed $1.98 to $58.98, in trading 19,979 units, Mayberry Investments closed at $5.70, with gains of 38 cents and 8,103 units changing hands. MPC Caribbean Clean Energy advanced $1 to $170, after exchanging just four units, Palace Amusement closed $200 lower at $1,700, with 37 units crossing the exchange, PanJam Investment dropped $1 trading 12,304 units to finish at $74. Portland JSX traded 9,000 units at 7.90, after losing 53 cents, Proven Investments advanced by $1.28 to $35.98, with 39,763 stock units changing hands, Sagicor Group closed 30 cents higher at $46.50 trading 19,744 units. Salada Foods gained 51 cents transferring 150 units to settle at $26.51, Scotia Group lost $1 to end at $44, in swapping 73,374 shares and Wisynco Group shed 30 cents transferring 375,093 shares and closed at $17.50.
There was no change to the TOP 10 Main Market this past week.
The retail loan portfolio increased 11 percent over the prior year and included a 14 percent increase in mortgages. The growth in loans is the most critical factor in determining likely gains in profit going forward.
The PE ratio for Junior Market Top 10 stocks averages a mere 5.7 at just 61 percent to the average of the overall Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at 8.6 or 62 percent of the PE of the overall market.
Other stocks trading more than one million units are Carreras with 1.1 million units and Grace Kennedy with 1.6 million shares.
Caribbean Cement gained 30 cents swapping 38,277 stock units and closed at $49.50. Eppley Caribbean Property Fund ended at $40, with gains of 50 cents with 4,184 units changing hands, Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 52 cents and settled at $22.50, after trading 223,160 shares, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy declined by $1 to $169, with 550 units crossing the exchange. NCB Financial Group fell $1.59 to $142, having swapped 194,677 stock units, Proven Investments climbed $2.70 to $34.70, in transferring 41,066 shares, Sagicor Real Estate Fund closed $1 higher at $8 trading 206,150 shares. Scotia Group rose $1.80, exchanging 151,670 shares to end at $45 and Sygnus Credit Investments closed 45 cents higher at $17.45, after a swap of 6,818 units.
