After closing just over 3,058 points on Friday last, the market again flirted at the edge of the 3,000 points level once again on Wednesday but ended up closing with a 30.20 points drop to end at 3,005.14 as the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange had two bad days of three for the week so far.
Trading ended with 35 securities changing hands compared to 36 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 12 stocks rising, 13 declining and 10 remaining unchanged.
The Junior Market Index dropped 30.20 points to settle at. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com forecast of 2021-22 earnings averages 12.3.
The market closed with the volume traded rising 66 percent above Tuesday’s levels carrying a value that was 86 percent higher as 5,634,565 shares traded for $16,996,208 compared to 3,392,680 units at $9,143,126 on Tuesday. Mailpac Group led trading with 33.3 percent of total volume for 1.87 million shares followed by Derrimon Trading with 31.6 percent for 1.78 million units and Limners and Bards with 7.1 percent after trading 398,329 shares.
Trading averaged 160,988 units at $485,606, up from 94,241 at $253,976 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 189,144 units at $608,258, down from 193,217 units at $625,997 on Tuesday. Trading in March averaged 252,633 units at $733,196.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 14 cents to close at $2.03 with 27,940 shares crossing the exchange, Consolidated Bakeries gained 29 cents in closing at $1.64 with a transfer of 8,500 stock units, Elite Diagnostic ended 29 cents higher at $3.15 with the swapping of 1,500 units. Everything Fresh lost 5 cents to close at 90 cents in switching ownership of 1,010 shares, Express Catering dipped 9 cents to $4.40 in trading 13,257 stocks, iCreate finished 5 cents lower at 74 cents with 23,521 shares changing hands, Jamaican Teas lost 8 cents in ending at $3.16 in the swapping of 93,539 stocks. KLE Group rose 16 cents to $1.18 in an exchange of 749 shares, Lasco Distributors declined 13 cents to end at $3.63 with 34,120 stock units clearing the market, Lasco Financial shed 20 cents to close at $2.85 after 15,880 shares crossed the exchange and Lasco Manufacturing lost 9 cents to settle at $4.50 after the transfer of 15,424 stocks.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.