The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Wednesday, with the market declining after almost twice as many stocks fell than rose leading to the trading of 42 percent fewer shares and 36 percent less value than on Tuesday.
Trading ended with 29 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Tuesday and concluded with the prices of nine stocks rising, the prices of 16 stocks declining and four with prices remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Market Index declined 28.78 points to settle at 2,482.99. The average PE Ratio of the market ended at 10.6 based on IC Insider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings. The market closed with an exchange of 2,756,985 shares for $6,229,918 compared to 4,714,749 units for $9,788,364 on Tuesday.
Lumber Depot led trading with 56.9 percent of total volume amounting to 1.57 million shares followed by Express Catering with 12.9 percent or 357,000 units and Jamaican Teas with 210,090 units for 7.6 percent market share.
Trading ended with an average of 95,068 units at $214,825 in contrast to 134,707 at $279,668 on Tuesday. For the month to date, the average trade resulted in an exchange of 108,463 units at $245,191, compared to 109,572 units at $247,707 on Tuesday. Trading in August resulted in an average of 104,426 units at $321,996.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial gained 7 cents to end at $21.58 in an exchange of 200 shares, Blue Power shed 31 cents to settle at $3.04 with 1,000 stock units traded, Caribbean Assurance Brokers declined by 14 cents to finish at $1.91 with 44,013 units changing hands. Caribbean Flavours fell 70 cents to close at $17.60 with investors transferring 28,500 shares, Caribbean Producers rose 4 cents to end at $2.35 with 7,015 stocks passing through the market, Derrimon Trading advanced 34 cents to finish at $2.90 in an exchange of 84,733 stocks. Elite Diagnostic lost 3 cents to close at $3.25, with investors switching ownership of 450 stocks, Express Catering climbed 35 cents to settle at $4.35 with 357,000 stock units traded, Fontana advanced 5 cents to end at $4.75 with 22,975 shares passing through the market. Fosrich dropped 35 cents to finish at $3.60 with 14,243 units changing hands, General Accident shed $1 to close at $6.30 in an exchange of 60,500 stocks, Honey Bun declined by 39 cents to settle at $4.71 with investors switching ownership of 2,153 stocks iCreate finished 2 cents lower at 68 cents with an exchange of 17,460 stock units, Indies Pharma fell 5 cents to end at $2.75 with 1,000 stock units passing through the market, Jamaican Teas declined by 55 cents, trading 210,090 units to close at $4.05. 
Jetcon Corporation gained 1 cent to settle at 86 cents with an exchange of 1,100 stocks, Lasco Financial rose 2 cents to end at $2.13 with 2,320 stocks changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing lost 17 cents to close at $3.53 with investors switching ownership of 21,700 shares. Limners and Bards climbed 22 cents to finish at $2.87 with 37,700 stock units passing through the market, Mailpac Group declined by 4 cents to end at $2.05 in an exchange of 169,935 shares, Main Event slipped 1 cent to $3.38 with investors transferring 884 stock units. Medical Disposables advanced 19 cents to close at $4.99 with 2,185 stocks passing through the market, SSL Venture fell 5 cents to settle at 70 cents with 10,000 stocks changing hands and Stationery and Office Supplies declined by 2 cents to finish at $5.58 with 1,000 shares crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% slipped 1 cent to end at $1.01 trading 48,370 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Honey Bun gained 39 cents to end at $5.10, with 4,000 units crossing the exchange, Indies Pharma closed at $2.80, after gaining 18 cents in transferring 1,778 units. Iron Rock Insurance gained of 3 cents to close at $2.88, after 7,808 units crossed the market, Jamaican Teas shed 9 cents in closing at $4.60, after an exchange of 80,819 shares, Lasco Distributors lost 5 cents to end at $3, with 64,640 stock units changing hands. Lasco Financial lost 1 cent to settle at $2.11 and crossing the exchange with 75,065 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing was down 9 cents to $3.70 trading 524 units, Limners and Bards rose 17 cents to $2.65, in transferring 214,286 stock units. Lumber Depot lost 1 cent to close at $1.09, clearing the market with 3,062,441 shares, MailPac Group finished 9 cents higher at $2.09 after exchanging 99,853 stocks, Medical Disposables rose 9 cents to $4.80, with 20,170 stock units changing hands. Paramount Trading shed 20 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ low of $1.30 after crossing the exchange with 50,157 stock units, SSL Venture gained 5 cents to end at 75 cents, with investors swapping 1,106 units and Stationery and Office Supplies settled at $5.60, with gains of 40 cents exchanging 153,622 shares.
Trading ended with an average of 118,745 units at $931,929 for each security, in comparison to an average of 175,363 shares at $1,776,099 on Monday. The average trade for the month to date ended at 218,043 units at $1,233,488 for each security, in contrast to 227,925 units at $1,263,501. Trading month to date compares adversely to August’s average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Grace Kennedy dropped $1.12 to end at $55.80 after 57,594 shares crossed the market, Jamaica Producers slid 90 cents to $20 trading 15,823 stock units, Jamaica Stock Exchange dropped $2.34, to $17.65 with an exchange of 398,445 shares. Kingston Wharves tumbled to $43, after losing $4.50 with 22,458 stock units changing hands, NCB Financial closed at $133.02, declining by $1.98 after investors swapped 15,856 stock units, Palace Amusement climbed a further $110 after surging by $290 on Monday, to close at $1,700 in exchange for 201 units. Portland JSX shed $1 to close at $7.50 with investors switching ownership of 95,828 shares, Proven Investments climbed $1.49 to $37.99, trading 2,303 units, Scotia Group fell to $48, shedding $2.99 with 79,136 shares crossing the exchange and Seprod declined by $1.50 to settle at $54 trading 11,908 stock units.
At the close of the market, similar to Monday, trading ended with just three securities changing hands and ended with the prices of one stock rising, one declining and one remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows two stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
The market closed with twelve securities trading with two stocks advancing, six declining and four unchanged. The volume of stocks passing through the market amounted to 134,360 shares valued at $3,706,470 compared to 38,763 shares for $1,040,330 on Monday from 14 securities.
Massy Holdings shed 50 cents transferring 3,125 units to finish at $58.50, National Enterprises lost 4 cents to settle at $4.01, in exchanging 4,600 stock units. One Caribbean Media closed at $5.20, after slipping 4 cents trading 6,600 stocks, Republic Financial Holdings ended at $142.52, after shedding 8 cents and exchanging 16,154 stock units and Scotiabank fell 4 cents to $54.95, with 1,442 shares crossing the market.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index advanced by 1,234.87 points to 403,872.59, the Main Index rose 1,122.68 points to 368,649.45 and the JSE Financial Index gained 0.01 point to close at 97.15.
Trading month to date compares adversely to August with an average of 497,441 units at $3,201,918.
Key Insurance lost 55 cents to end at $7.95 exchanging 31,426 shares. Kingston Wharves closed at $47.50, with gains of 50 cents and 101 units crossing the exchange, Mayberry Investments gained 47 cents in ending at $5.60 and trading 884 units, Mayberry Jamaican Equities settled at $8.49, after picking up 97 cents, with 250 units clearing the market. Palace Amusement surged $290 to end at $1,590, with an exchange of 88 units, after the company announced the opening of a drive-in cinema in New Kingston. Salada Foods jumped $3.75 to $28.75, with investors switching ownership of 6,979 stock units, 
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
GWest Corporation rose 2 cents to end at 98 cents with 24,000 stocks traded, Honey Bun shed 29 cents to close at $4.71 with investors transferring 5,000 units, Indies Pharma dropped 23 cents to settle at $2.62 in an exchange of 206,274 units. Lasco Distributors slipped 8 cents to close at $3.05 with 7,092 units changing hands, Lasco Financial declined by 2 cents to finish at $2.12 with 70,935 stocks traded, Lasco Manufacturing gained 6 cents to end at $3.79 with 32,978 shares passing through the market. Limners and Bards dropped 32 cents to close at $2.48 with investors switching ownership of 61,016 units, Lumber Depot exchanged 11,123,785 shares and advanced 5 cents to settle at $1.10, Mailpac Group slipped 1 cent to $2 with 181,248 stock units traded. Main Event fell 11 cents to end at $3.39 with 2,418 stocks switching hands, Medical Disposables finished 1 cent higher at $4.71 with an exchange of 1,123 shares, Paramount Trading lost 5 cents to settle at $1.50 with investors switching ownership of 146,900 stock units. SSL Venture fell 1 cent to close at 70 cents in an exchange of 35,144 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 39 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.20 with a mere 11 stock units trading and tTech jumped 75 cents in finishing at $5.75 with 281 units crossing the exchange.
At the close of the market, trading ended with three securities changing hands compared to three on Friday and ended with the price of one stock rising, one declining and one remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
Stocks declining│ Clico Investments shed 49 cents, exchanging 3,702 stock units to settle at $25, Guardian Holdings ended 10 cents lower at $19.50, with 3,605 stock units crossing the market and West Indian Tobacco fell 99 cents to $36 trading 823 units.
