Trading dipped with fewer securities trading on Thursday leading to an exchange of 15 percent fewer shares than on Wednesday with the value falling 26 percent leaving the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange to close with a modest rise in the market index.
Trading ended with 34 securities changing hands down from 39 on Wednesday resulting in the prices of 15 stocks rising, 12 declining and seven closing firm.
The Market Index eked out a 6.06 pints rise to finish at 2,806.63. The average PE Ratio ended at 14.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading ended with 6,203,871 shares at $16,459,757 down from 7,260,452 units at $22,171,156 on Wednesday.
Jamaican Teas led trading with 45.4 percent of total volume or 2.81 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot with 12.6 percent for 783,265 units and Tropical Battery with 11.1 percent with a transfer of 685,979 units.
Trading averaged 182,467 units at $484,111 in contrast to 186,165 at $568,491 on Wednesday. The month to date averaged 299,016 units at $828,895, compared to 312,587 units at $869,041 on Wednesday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Access Financial fell 6 cents to $21.80 with 766 shares traded, Blue Power dropped 22 cents to $2.85 with 3,723 stocks changing hands, Cargo Handlers rose 7 cents to $8 with an exchange of 1,324 units. Dolphin Cove climbed $1 to $8 with 15,616 stock units crossing the market, Everything Fresh rose by 10 cents to 73 cents transferring 25,006 shares, Express Catering shed 38 cents to end at $3.30 with 39,161 units traded. Fontana slipped 5 cents to $6 with 653 stocks changing hands, Fosrich gained 20 cents to close at $4.30 with an exchange of 33,259 shares, Honey Bun rose 5 cents to $5.90 trading 500 stock units. Indies Pharma increased by 10 cents to $2.90 with a transfer of 81,000 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance advanced 17 cents to $3.05 with 800 shares changing hands, Jamaican Teas gained 6 cents to settle at $2.99 with 2,814,874 stock units traded. Jetcon Corporation declined 5 cents to 69 cents with an exchange of 16,000 units, Knutsford Express jumped 55 cents to $6.75 trading 1,788 stocks, Lasco Distributors climbed 24 cents to $3.45 with the transfer of 3,000 shares. 
Lasco Manufacturing rose 5 cents to $4.25 with 108,611 stocks changing hands, Lumber Depot gained 18 cents to end at 52 weeks’ high of $2.18 with an ownership switch of 783,265 units, Mailpac Group advanced 10 cents to $4 with an exchange of 271,927 shares. Main Event fell 19 cents to $3.30 with 68,569 stocks crossing the exchange, Medical Disposables shed 39 cents to close at $4 with 18,414 units traded and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 24 cents to $4.29 after trading 2,000 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The JSE USD Equity Index lost 3.28 points to end at 196.62 and the average PE Ratio ends at 13.6 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Proven Investments shed 1 cent in closing at 25 US cents in switching ownership of 10,040 units, Sygnus Credit Investments lost 0.03 of a cent to close at 15.88 US cents trading 744 stocks and Transjamaican Highway lost 0.02 of a cent to close at O.95 of one US cent, with 148,775 stock units changing hands.
The market ended with 18 securities trading similar to Wednesday, with the prices of five stocks rising, eight declining and five remaining unchanged. The Composite Index increased 2.75 points to settle at 1,323.99, the All T&T Index climbed 4.67 points to settle at 1,761.92, and the Cross Listed Index rose 0.11 points to 119.84.
L.J Williams B share closed at $1.30 trading 638 stock units, National Enterprises carved out a loss 2 cents in ending at $3.10, with 126,613 stocks crossing the market, One Caribbean Media fell 5 cents to $4.80 trading 35,369 units. Point Lisas lost 14 cents to end at $3.01 with 600 stock units changing hands, Prestige Holdings lost 1 cent in ending at $7.49 trading 25 stock units, Republic Financial Holdings dropped 2 cents in closing at $134.98 in exchanging of 188 shares. Scotiabank gained 59 cents to end at $56.99 while 5,415 units crossed the market, Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost 4 cents in ending at $15.50 with 3,744 units changing hands, Trinidad Cement remained at $3.75 trading 16,953 stock units. Unilever Caribbean advanced 4 cents to $16.49, with 4,800 stocks crossing the market and West Indian Tobacco settled at $35 in exchanging 1,414 stock units.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 3,222.51 points to 425,755.18, the Main Index advanced by 2,902.45 points to 388,227.47 and the JSE Financial Index lost 0.01 points to settle at 98.29.
Trading for the day averaged 911,229 units at $5,003,803, compared to 379,495 shares at $1,819,819 on Tuesday. The month to date averaged 449,559 units at $2,675,448, in contrast to 380,091 units at $2,325,100 on the prior trading day. Trading in January averaged 311,275 units at $1,432,133.
QWI Investments gained 10 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.20 in an exchange of 2,464,374 units, Sagicor Group gained $1.25 to close at $50.25 exchanging 5,218 stocks, Salada Foods declined by $3.90 to settle at $40 trading 118,884 shares and Seprod lost $2.20 and closed at $66.02, after exchanging 18,328 stocks.
Trading ended with 39 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Tuesday and closed with falling stocks far outnumbering rising ones as prices of seven stocks rising, 22 declined and 10 remained unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 14.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Knutsford Express lost 22 cents to end at $6.20 with 1,203 stocks passing through the market, Lasco Distributors declined by 9 cents to $3.21 with 111,367 stock units exchanged, Mailpac Group traded 1,081,329 shares and dropped 25 cents to $3.90, Paramount Trading advanced 18 cents to $1.45 with 63 stocks changing hands and tTech shed 61 cents to close at $4.09 with 34,055 units crossing the exchange.
Seven securities changed hands, compared to four on Tuesday and ended with three stocks rising, three declining and one remaining unchanged.
At the close of trading, First Rock Capital lost 0.78 of a cent to end at 8 US cents trading 148,485 stocks, Margaritaville closed at 11 US cents with an exchange of 14,000 stock units, MPC Caribbean Clean Energy gained 1 cent in closing at US$1.15, with 197 stock units crossing the market. Proven Investments declined 0.95 of a cent in closing at 26 US cents with 35,261 shares changing hands, Sterling Investments rose 0.2 of a cent to end at 2.3 US cents in exchanging 1,170 units, Sygnus Credit Investments increased 0.87 of a cent to close at 15.91 US cents, with 10,649 stock units crossing the market and Transjamaican Highway shed 0.01 of a cent in closing at 0.97 US cents in trading 36,740 stocks.
Massy Holdings lost 10 cents to end at $60.10, in an exchange of 369 shares, National Enterprises lost 8 cents to finish at $3.12 trading 45,840 stock units, National Flour Mills remained at $2.50, in exchanging 120,000 shares. NCB Financial Group gained 10 cents to close at $8.40 with 3,074 stock units crossing the exchange, One Caribbean Media closed at $4.85, in transferring 41,200 shares, Point Lisas gained 14 cents to close at $3.15, with one stock unit changing hands. Republic Financial Holdings closed 2 cents higher at $135, with 142 shares clearing the market, Scotiabank fell 34 cents to $56.40 after trading 710 stocks, Trinidad & Tobago NGL lost 1 cent to close at $15.54, with 4,686 shares crossing the market. Unilever Caribbean ended 5 cents lower at $16.45, with an exchange of one share and West Indian Tobacco gained 15 cents in closing at $35, with 6,449 units crossing the market.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows twelve stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Sagicor Group fell by $1 to $49 trading 18,525 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund shed 29 cents to close at $8, with the swapping of 7,685 shares. Salada Foods slipped 34 cents to $43.90, in trading 27,112 stocks, Seprod slid $1.78 to $68.22, with 30,235 stock units changing hands, Stanley Motta settled at $4.95, with a loss of 40 cents trading 24,000 stock units. Supreme Ventures gained 25 cents in closing at $17, after the transfer of 56,294 units and Victoria Mutual Investments fell 5 cents to close at $5.75 trading 20,428 shares.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Limners and Bards finished 5 cents lower at $2.50, with 232,334 units changing hands, Mailpac Group gained 19 cents to close at an all-time closing high of $4.15, in the transfer of 695,450 stocks and Medical Disposables picked up 6 cents to end at $4.40, with 5,595 shares changing hands.
Trading ended with the prices of one stock rising, one declining and two remaining unchanged.
At the close of the market, First Rock Capital remained at 8.78 US cents while exchanging 140 shares. Proven Investments lost 0.04 of a cent at 26.95 US cents, with an exchange of 92,650 stock units, Sygnus Credit Investments closed at 15.04 US cents trading 2,000 shares and Transjamaican Highway inched 0.01 of a cent higher in closing at 0.98 of a US cent, with 54,913 shares changing hands.
