Trading activity dipped to start the new year with the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closing moderately higher on Thursday, following an 81 percent decline in the volume of stocks traded, at an 88 percent lower value than Tuesday resulting from trading in 47 securities compared with 44 on Tuesday, ending with prices of 19 rising, 25 declining and three closing unchanged, with the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator flashing negative moves to start trading on Friday.
The market closed with 9,108,643 shares with a value of $16,934,260 trading compared with 48,623,882 units at $139,994,405 on Tuesday. Trading averaged 193,801 shares at $360,303 down from 1,105,088 stocks at $3,181,691 on Tuesday and compared to December with an average of 326,483 shares at $898,324. One Great Studio led trading with 1.13 million shares for 12.4 percent of the overall volume followed by Lasco Financial with 1.12 million stock units for 12.3 percent of Thursday’s trades, Derrimon Trading chipped in with 1.11 million units for 12.2 percent market share and Jamaican Teas with 1.08 million shares for 11.9 percent of the total volume. At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index popped 7.67 points to end the day at 3,742.72. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.2, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for financial years ending around August 2025.
At the close of trading, Access Financial rose 28 cents to finish at $19 with 207 stocks switching owners, Caribbean Assurance Brokers sank 38 cents and ended at $2.51 with 3,397 units crossing the market, Caribbean Flavours shed 18 cents to end at $1.20 with an exchange of 134,404 shares. Consolidated Bakeries advanced 15 cents to $2.08 with 20,622 stock units clearing the market, Dolla Financial lost 10 cents to close at $2.90 with 587,450 shares changing hands, Elite Diagnostic skidded 7 cents to close at $1.83 with investors dealing in just 2,093 stocks. Express Catering fell 38 cents to $3 with 359,584 units changing hands, Fosrich declined 24 cents and ended at $2.20 in trading 85,518 stock units, Future Energy sank 29 cents to finish at $3.70 with 612,690 shares crossing the market. Honey Bun popped 12 cents to close at $8.50 as investors exchanged 16,206 stocks, Image Plus dropped 7 cents to $1.63 with a transfer of 38,028 units, Indies Pharma increased 11 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.80 with investors swapping 18,141 stock units.
Iron Rock Insurance climbed 28 cents to $4.28 after a transfer of 38 shares, ISP Finance gained 20 cents to close at $23.70 with investors trading a mere 5 units, Jamaican Teas slipped 9 cents to $2.15, after hitting a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $1.80, in an exchange of 1,084,335 stocks. KLE Group rallied 11 cents and ended at $1.25 with traders dealing in 39,964 stock units, Knutsford Express dipped 52 cents to end at $13.66 in an exchange of 2,546 shares, Lasco Financial popped 18 cents to finish at $1.63 with 1,124,171 stocks passing through the market. Lumber Depot climbed 11 cents and ended at $2.80 in trading 1,139 units, Main Event increased $2.19 to $12.99 with 402 stock units crossing the exchange, Medical Disposables rose 27 cents to finish at $1.90 with investors trading 8,204 shares. Regency Petroleum sank 13 cents to end at $3.33 after an exchange of 89,473 stocks,
Spur Tree Spices skidded 8 cents to $1.95 after35,199 units changed hands, Stationery and Office Supplies lost 9 cents to close at $1.60 with investors trading 41,016 stock units and tTech advanced 10 cents to $2.10 with 2,157 shares crossing the exchange.Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with trading of 111,764 shares valued at $734,454 compared to 40,067 stock units at $812,755 on Tuesday. An average of 6,985 shares were traded at $45,903 compared with 2,109 units at $42,777 on Tuesday, compared with an average for December of 19,548 shares at $423,231.
At the close, Agostini’s ended at $67.50 after a transfer of 195 stocks, Angostura Holdings ended at $14.85 with 103 units clearing the market, CIBC Caribbean Bank remained at $8.25 after an exchange of 8,080 shares. First Citizens Group rallied $2.54 to $43 in trading 458 stock units, GraceKennedy ended at $3.70 after 25,875 shares passed through the market, Guardian Holdings ended trading at $14.95 in an exchange of 230 units. Guardian Media remained at $1.15 with 200 stocks crossing the market, L.J. Williams B share ended at 75 cents with an exchange of 800 stock units, Massy Holdings popped 8 cents and ended at $3.99 with 169 shares crossing the market. National Enterprises declined 14 cents to end at $2.65 with a transfer of 11,000 stock units, National Flour Mills remained at $1.70 with investors swapping 11,604 stocks, 
Prestige Holdings ended at $11.30 and closed with an exchange of 559 units. Republic Financial advanced $1.17 to $114 with traders dealing in 1,958 stocks, Scotiabank slipped 29 cents to $57.01 as investors exchanged 11 units, Trinidad & Tobago NGL dipped 25 cents to finish at $4.75 after trading of 30,727 shares and West Indian Tobacco lost 5 cents and ended at $5.55 with investors dealing in 19,795 stock units.
Blue Power, a manufacturer of soaps was the best performer for the year by far, with a surge of 111 percent in the price, helped by a 23.5 percent growth in profit for the half year to October, the only stock gaining more than 100 percent for the year.
MFS Partners followed with a drop of 76 percent, as it was still unable to be consistently profitable after having a third set of owners at the helm, CAC 2000 lost 56 percent, with results up to the third quarter still heavily in the red, despite reporting a profit in the third quarter, KLE Group fell 42 percent and Medical Disposables 40 percent.
The three top performing stocks are 
the Junior Market listed Blue Power with a gain of 111 percent.
Pulse investments was the worst performing stock in market with a fall of 45 percent followed by the big loss maker RJR Group down 35 percent, Eppley chipped with a fall of 31 percent, 
The market closed with 31,201,756 shares traded for $215,989,231 versus 40,210,672 stock units at $156,530,284 on Monday. Trading ended with an average of 480,027 shares at $3,322,911 compared to 628,292 stocks at $2,445,786 on Monday. For month to date, trading ended with an average of 967,720 units at $18,390,902 compared to 995,214 shares at $19,240,355 on the Monday and November with an average of 286,669 stock units at $2,555,172.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 15.4. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on the last traded prices and projected earnings done by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
NCB Financial advanced 99 cents in closing at $51 with investors trading 248,922 stock units, Pan Jamaica popped $1 to end at $59 after a transfer of 25,066 stocks, Sagicor Real Estate Fund rallied 35 cents to close at $8.40 with trading of 4,732 units. Salada Foods rose 50 cents to $4 with 177,471 shares crossing the market, Scotia Group climbed $3.29 to close at $53.99 as investors exchanged 17,018 stocks, Seprod increased $8.40 to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $92.40 in switching ownership of 102,565 units. Supreme Ventures advanced $3 in closing at $26.50 after an exchange of 2,065,841 stock units and Wisynco Group gained 64 cents to finish at $21.99 with investors swapping 47,051 shares.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% popped $1.45 and ended at $43.95 with 21 stocks crossing the exchange. Jamaica Public Service 9.5% dropped $453.85 to $2,650 with investors dealing in 400 units and 138 Student Living preference share shed $62 to end at $195 after an exchange of 209 stock units.
The market closed with trading of 48,623,882 shares with a value of $139,994,405 well above the 12,282,549 units at $26,347,816 on Monday.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.5, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2025.
Future Energy climbed 10 cents to close at $3.99, with 3,107,058 stock units crossing the market, Indies Pharma increased 30 cents to finish at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.69 in an exchange of 108,513 units, Iron Rock Insurance popped 11 cents and ended at $4 with investors trading 145,270 stocks. Jetcon Corporation rallied 12 cents to $1.30 with 408,101 shares crossing the exchange, Knutsford Express advanced 42 cents to end at $14.18 with traders dealing in 386 stock units, Lasco Financial sank 20 cents to $1.45 in an exchange of 1,544,855 stocks. Lumber Depot declined 21 cents and ended at $2.69 2,959,702 units changing hands, Mailpac Group gained 13 cents to finish at $2.78 with a transfer of 220,710 shares, Regency Petroleum popped 22 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.46 after an exchange of 2,624,256 stocks. 
Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 21 cents to $1.69 in trading 4,349,414 units and tTech shed 10 cents to finish at $2 with an exchange of 10,661 stock units.
The market closed with trading of 40,067 shares for $812,755 down sharply from 257,939 stock units at $6,058,813 on Monday. An average of 2,109 shares were traded at $42,777 in contrast to 11,725 stock units at $275,401 on Monday, with trading month to date averaging 19,447 shares at $421,016 slightly less than the 20,352 units at $440,760 on the previous day and compared with an average for November of 25,044 shares at $171,335.
The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator closed with four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
National Flour Mills ended at $1.70 after just one stock unit passed through the market. Prestige Holdings ended at $11.30 after an exchange of 71 shares, Republic Financial sank 17 cents in closing at $112.83 with 5,579 stock units crossing the market, Scotiabank shed $1.19 and ended at $57.30 with a transfer of 27 units. Trinidad & Tobago NGL rose 20 cents to close at $5 with 9,853 stocks crossing the market, Trinidad Cement remained at $2.50 as investors exchanged 2,620 shares, Unilever Caribbean remained at $11.40 after trading of 2,644 stock units and West Indian Tobacco advanced 1 cent to $5.60, with 505 units crossing the exchange.
Cost of sales jumped 81 percent to $363.7 million in the 2024 third quarter from $200.8 million in 2023 and increased 46.2 percent to $895.5 million from $612.6 million for the nine months to September 2023.
Shareholder’s Equity 
Jamaican Main Market stocks are back to highs not seen since January 2023, nearly two years ago as bullish trading pushed the index that measures just Jamaican based stocks climbed 27,055.36 points since November 22, to the penultimate day of the year, with the market breaking solidly out of an upward sloping channel starting in July and flashing bullish signal since, with the market recording higher highs and higher lows since September following the cut in Bank of Jamaica over nigh rate in August.
The market closed with 40,210,672 shares trading for $156,530,284 down moderately from 43,842,677 stock units at $162,667,778 on Friday. Trading averaged 628,292 shares at $2,445,786 compared to 707,140 stocks at $2,623,674 on Friday and for the month to date, an average of 995,214 units at $19,240,355 down from 1,016,778 shares at $20,227,364 on Friday and November with an average of 286,669 stock units at $2,555,172.
The Main Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 14.8. The JSE Main and USD Market PE ratios are based on last traded prices and earnings forecasts by ICInsider.com for companies with the financial year ending around August 2025.
Mayberry Jamaican Equities rallied $1.70 to finish at $13 after an exchange of 3,321,203 units, Pan Jamaica shed $3 to end at $58 with investors dealing in 6,001 stocks, Sagicor Group rose $1.99 to close at $40 in an exchange of 288,319 stock units. Sagicor Real Estate Fund sank 35 cents to $8.05 with traders dealing in 182,085 shares, Scotia Group dipped $1.80 and ended at $50.70 as investors exchanged 59,018 stocks, Seprod slipped 50 cents to finish at $84 in switching ownership of 13,728 units. Supreme Ventures fell 50 cents to close at $23.50 after an exchange of 103,816 stock units, Sygnus Real Estate Finance dipped 39 cents to end at $9.61 with 6,513 shares clearing the market and Wisynco Group lost 65 cents in closing at $21.35 with investors swapping 216,930 stock units.
In the preference segment, Jamaica Public Service 7% advanced $2.50 to $42.50 with a transfer of 91 units, Jamaica Public Service 9.5% gained $672.85 to finish at $3103.85 crossing the exchange 220 stocks, 138 Student Living preference share popped $2.02 and ended at $257 after trading of 4 shares and Productive Business Solutions 10.5% preference share advanced $48 to end at $1120 with an exchange of 40 stocks.
Trading ended with an exchange of 12,282,549 shares at a value of $26,347,816 down from 15,379,999 stocks at $33,771,107 on Friday. Trading averaged 261,331 shares at $560,592 compared with 320,417 stocks at $703,565 on Friday, with the month to date ending with an average of 287,330 stock units at $783,503 compared with 288,806 stocks at $796,156 on the previous day and November that ended with an average of 309,920 shares at $766,307.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.2, based on last traded prices in conjunction with 
Iron Rock Insurance popped 30 cents in closing at $3.89 with an exchange of 51 shares. KLE Group skidded 11 cents and ended at $1.14 with 47 stocks crossing the market, Knutsford Express sank 43 cents to finish at $13.76 after an exchange of 1,475 units, Lumber Depot rallied 25 cents to close at $2.90 after an exchange of 2,057,208 stocks. Mailpac Group dipped 14 cents to $2.65 as investors exchanged 23,546 shares, Medical Disposables shed 28 cents in closing at $1.62 after 20,257 stock units passed through the market, MFS Capital Partners shed 8 cents to end at 54 cents in an exchange of 274,061 stocks. Regency Petroleum rose 9 cents to close at $3.24 with investors trading 357,937 units and tTech gained 10 cents and ended at $2.10 with 4,000 stocks crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.