Trading closed on Friday, with the market index suffering one of its infrequent declines in recent weeks after trading volumes dropped 49 percent and the value fell 51 percent from Thursday levels on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, as the market at the top of a trading channel that could restrict upward movement for a while.
Trading ended with 37 securities changing hands up from 35 on Thursday and closed with prices of 15 rising, 15 declining and seven closing unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 24.81 points to settle at 3,321.55. The PE Ratio, based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings, averages 12.4.
The market closed with an exchange of 10,030,984 shares for $26,609,052 down from 19,570,020 units at $54,174,348 on Thursday. Future Energy Source led trading with 21.6 percent of total volume for an exchange of 2.16 million shares, followed by Lumber Depot with 18.5 percent after exchanging 1.85 million units and Everything Fresh with 9.3 percent for 930,357 units.
Trading averaged 271,108 units at $719,164, in contrast to 559,143 at $1,547,924 on Thursday, and for the month to date, an average of 349,312 units at $851,510, compared to 357,873 units at $865,997 on Thursday. April closed with an average of 329,241 units at $854,716.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging lost 6 cents in closing at $1.72 in trading 116,319 shares, Blue Power gained 45 cents to end at $3.95 after crossing the market with 3,508 units, Cargo Handlers advanced $1.19 in closing at $8.70 with an exchange 33 stocks. Caribbean Cream picked up 5 cents to close at $5.66 with the swapping of 10,085 stock units, Caribbean Flavours declined 25 cents to finish at $2.10 in exchanging 720,848 shares. Consolidated Bakeries fell 31 cents, ending at $1.34 in switching ownership of 42,500 stocks, Elite Diagnostic rose 21 cents in closing at $3.13 in crossing the market with 10,312 units, Everything Fresh lost 15 cents to settle at 95 cents, with 930,357 shares changing hands, Express Catering shed $1.03 to close at $4.90 with the swapping of 89,380 stock units. Fontana rose 34 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $6.20 after crossing the market with 383,850 shares, General Accident ended 19 cents higher at $6.10, exchanging 45,854 units. GWest Corporation lost 5 cents in closing at 79 cents after clearing the market with 39,149 shares, Honey Bun rose 42 cents to close at $6.42 in exchanging 215,252 stocks, iCreate shed 1 cent to end at 79 cents crossing the exchange 13,571 stock units. Jamaican Teas gained 40 cents to end at $3.90 in switching ownership of 469,732 shares, 
Lasco Distributors gained 13 cents to close at $4.20 with an exchange of 66,204 units, Lasco Financial ended 6 cents lower at $3.94 with the swapping of 1,000 shares, Lasco Manufacturing gained 6 cents in closing at $5.40 in transferring 82,790 stock units. Lumber Depot gained 17 cents ending at $3.18 after exchanging 1,851,495 units, Mailpac Group shed 26 cents to finish at $3.69 after clearing the market with 867,626 stocks, Stationery and Office Supplies advanced $2.49 to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $9.50 in trading 16,303 shares and tTech dipped 8 cents to end at $5.91 with a transfer of 1,250 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The market closed with three stocks ending at 52 weeks highs, helped by good news and shortage of supply of stocks for sale. One technical indicator shows the market sitting at the top of a channel or resistance. Release of results after the market closed, of some companies and a few others that were released before, could power the market into breaking through the resistance level and place the market in a position to the 4,000 points level. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings averaging 12.3.
Trading ended with an average of 559,143 units at $1,547,839 up from 351,689 at $822,523 on Wednesday and for the month to date an average of 357,873 units at $865,988, compared to 334,624 units at $787,227 on Wednesday. April closed with an average of 329,241 units at $854,716.
Honey Bun dropped 16 cents to $6 with an exchange of 55,902 units, iCreate gained 6 cents to close at 80 cents with 16,558 stock units passing through the market, Indies Pharma fell 25 cents to $4 with 387,501 shares traded. Jamaican Teas fell 30 cents to settle at $3.50 after 6,713,850 units changed hands, KLE Group lost 9 cents to finish at $1.21 with 600 stocks crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors declined by 25 cents to $4.07 with 145,965 stock units traded. Lasco Financial climbed 61 cents to 52 weeks high of $4 with a transfer of 55,209 shares, Limners and Bards rose 6 cents to $2.98 with investors switching ownership of 252,216 units, Lumber Depot advanced 21 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $3.01 with an exchange of 3,917,606 units. Mailpac Group lost 5 cents to close at $3.95 with 317,577 stock units changing hands, Medical Disposables dropped 75 cents to $4.25 with 10,895 stocks passing through the market, Stationery and Office Supplies jumped $1.01 to settle at a 52 weeks’ high of $7.01 with 24,878 units traded and tTech advanced 9 cents to $5.99 with 8,461 shares crossing the exchange.
At the close, 35 securities traded down from 37 on Tuesday with 15 stocks rising, 14 declining and six ending unchanged.
Trading averaged 351,689 units at $822,523 in contrast to 357,620 at $580,663 on Tuesday. Trading for the month to date averages 334,624 units at $787,227, compared to 332,395 units at $782,617 on Tuesday. April averaged 329,241 units at $854,716.
Jamaican Teas fell 30 cents to $3.80 with a transfer of 1,225,475 stocks, Jetcon Corporation rose 6 cents to 91 cents with an exchange of 50,827 stock units, KLE Group climbed 27 cents to $1.30 with investors switching ownership of a mere 5 shares. Lasco Distributors declined 8 cents to $4.32, with 13,297 units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing gained 21 cents to close at $5.31 with 2,071,884 stocks traded, Mailpac Group rose 6 cents to $4 with a transfer of 335,132 stock units and tTech jumped $1.30 to $5.90 with 23,000 shares crossing the exchange, following release of first quarter resulting showing a 94 percent rise in profit.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending, with the bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing lost 8 cents to end at $5.10 with an exchange of 37,601 shares. Mailpac Group rose 9 cents to $3.94 with a transfer of 266,768 stock units, Medical Disposables fell 19 cents to close at $5 with the ownership of 64,103 stocks switching, Paramount Trading gained 9 cents to finish at $1.39 with 10,029 units changing hands and Stationery and Office Supplies jumped 48 cents to settle at $6 with 11,290 shares crossing the exchange.
A total of 40 securities traded compared to 39 on Friday, with 13 stocks rising, 19 declining and eight remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings averaged 12.2.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Limners and Bards increased 8 cents to finish at $2.90 with 181,122 stock units changing hands, Mailpac Group rose 5 cents to $3.85 with a transfer of 309,136 units, Main Event advanced 22 cents to $4.87 with 1,323 stocks traded. Medical Disposables fell 9 cents to $5.19 with 102 units passing through the market, Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 93 cents to $5.52 with 5,139 stock units changing hands and tTech lost 28 cents to close at $4.60 with 17,551 shares crossing the exchange.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Iron Rock Insurance lost 10 cents in closing at $3.40 in switching ownership of 14,906 stocks, Lasco Distributors gained 10 cents to end at $4 after exchanging 2,698,308 shares, Lasco Financial lost 10 cents to close at $3.10 in switching ownership of 4,983 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing advanced 40 cents to $5.15 with 50,086 shares changing hands. Limners and Bards picked up 7 cents to end at $2.82 in transferring 159,117 stock units, Mailpac Group rose 14 cents to close at $3.80 in an exchange of 915,184 shares, Main Event lost 14 cents to end at $4.65 with 55,160 shares crossing the exchange and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 95 cents to $6.45 in trading 24,827 stocks.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands compared to 40 on Wednesday, ending with 16 rising, 14 falling and six remaining unchanged. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings averages 12.2.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing shed 35 cents to $4.75 with 66,304 shares changing hands, Lumber Depot advanced 14 cents to $2.80 with a transfer of 349,436 stocks, Medical Disposables slipped 8 cents to $5.27 with 300,260 units traded. SSL Venture rose 7 cents to 65 cents with investors switching ownership of 5,700 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies fell 11 cents to $5.50 with 19,767 stocks changing hands and tTech gained 10 cents to close at $5, with the 3,959 shares crossing the exchange.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
ISP Finance jumped $3.99 to $23.99 with a transfer of 80 units, Knutsford Express declined by 20 cents to $8.40 with 9,545 stock units passing through the market. Lasco Financial advanced 40 cents to finish at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.39, with 103,425 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing slipped 5 cents to $5.10 with an exchange of 101,483 stocks, Lumber Depot lost 6 cents to close at $2.66 with a transfer of 1,075,496 units. Main Event jumped 73 cents to $4.77 with 17,125 shares traded, Medical Disposables fell 13 cents to $5.35 with 2,778 stocks passing through the market, SSL Venture declined by 7 cents to 58 cents with 1 unit changing hands. Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 69 cents to $5.61 with 200 stock units traded and Tropical Battery lost 5 cents to close at $1.15 with 87,376 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading resulted in an exchange of 41.2 percent more shares than on Monday, with 29 percent greater value than on Monday.
At the close, Blue Power gained 9 cents to end at $4.44 with an exchange of 11,084 shares, Cargo Handlers fell $1.19 to $7.51 with 100 stocks crossing the market, Caribbean Cream slipped 5 cents to finish at $6.10 with 8,601 units changing hands. Caribbean Flavours rose 7 cents to end at $2.30 with 22,374 shares traded, Caribbean Producers lost 5 cents to close at $3.90 with a transfer of 18,448 stocks. Dolphin Cove dropped 40 cents to $7.50 with an exchange of 17,771 units, Everything Fresh declined by 12 cents to end at $1.03, with 6,948 shares crossing the exchange. Fosrich jumped $1.08 to close at a 52 weeks’ closing high of $8.08 with 259,572 stocks changing hands. Honey Bun lost 30 cents to close at $5.75 with 22,700 units traded, Iron Rock Insurance climbed 35 cents to $3.70 in transferring 14,925 shares. ISP Finance shed $4 to settle at $20 in trading just one share, Jetcon Corporation gained 10 cents to finish at 95 cents with an exchange of 333,996 stocks. KLE Group slid 5 cents to $1.02 with 319,074 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors declined by 5 cents to finish at $3.85 with 159,829 units changing hands. Lasco Financial dropped 20 cents to $2.99 with 38,500 stocks traded after hitting a 52 weeks’ intraday high of $3.37.
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 14 cents to $5.15 with a transfer of 31,906 stock units, Limners and Bards fell 8 cents to $2.72, with 6,050 shares passing through the market. Lumber Depot declined 18 cents to $2.72 with 930,413 units traded, Main Event jumped 54 cents to $4.04 with a transfer of 12,000 stock units and Medical Disposables fell 7 cents to $5.48 with 6,740 units crossing the exchange.
At the close, Access Financial fell $2.29 to $20.06 after trading 210 stocks, Caribbean Cream rose 53 cents to $6.15 with 3,178 shares crossing the exchange, Consolidated Bakeries climbed 13 cents to $1.65 in trading 800 units, Elite Diagnostic rose 6 cents to $3.12 in exchanging 2,100 stocks. Everything Fresh gained 5 cents to finish at $1.15 in switching ownership of 9,398 shares, Express Catering rose 4 cents to $4.54 in the swapping of 400 stocks, Fontana lost 15 cents to settle at $5.80 with an exchange of 122,883 shares. Fosrich shed 45 cents to close at $7 in a transfer of 140,661 stock units, Honey Bun ended 10 cents higher at $6.05 in switching ownership of 315,886 units. Iron Rock Insurance gained 33 cents to close at $3.35 in an exchange of 6,850 stock units, Jamaican Teas lost 9 cents in ending at $4.10 in transferring 1,174,452 shares. Lasco Distributors ended 7 cents lower at $3.90 after 34,210 shares cleared the market. Lasco Financial gained 9 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.19 in trading 184,496 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing lost 19 cents to finish at $5.01 with 10,348 stocks changing hands, Lumber Depot fell 4 cents to end at $2.90 in the swapping of 387,689 units. 
Mailpac Group rose 16 cents to $3.76 with an exchange of 1,049,783 shares, Medical Disposables advanced $1.12 to $5.55 with the transfer of 92,026 units, Paramount Trading advanced 4 cents to close at $1.35 after exchanging 1,540 stocks. SSL Venture advanced 4 cents to 69 cents after 1,200 stock units changed hands, Stationery and Office Supplies rose 59 cents to $6.30 in exchange of 174 units and tTech advanced 32 cents to $4.90 with the swapping of 120,000 stock units.