At the start of trading on Monday, investors pushed prices mostly higher, with the market index gapping 29 points to open at 3,084.31, but the market traded as high as 3,093.70, after eighty minutes of the opening. Volume and value of trades dropped 84 percent and 83 percent, respectively with more stocks rising than falling versus Friday, on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
Overall, 40 securities traded, compared to 36 on Friday, with 21 stocks rising, eight declining and 11 remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index put on 25.53 points to settle at 3,080.65, resulting in the year to date gains of 16.5 percent. The PE Ratio based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2021-22 earnings averages 12.7.
The market closed with an exchange of 2,666,463 shares for $9,077,409 compared to 16,851,842 units at $54,745,219 on Friday. Mailpac Group led trading with 20.8 percent of total volume for 555,210 shares, followed by Jamaican Teas with 20.3 percent for 541,001 units and Lumber Depot with 7.4 percent for 197,616 units.
Trading averaged 66,662 units at $226,935 in contrast to 468,107 at $1,520,701 on Friday. The average month to date is 196,052 units at $629,180, compared to 210,840 units at $675,151 on Friday. March closed with an average of 252,633 units at $733,196.
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, Access Financial rose $1.04 to $21.10 trading 2,526 shares, Blue Power shed 29 cents to finish at $3.50 with 15,526 stocks crossing the market, CAC 2000 lost 15 cents to end at $9.50 after exchanging 62,692 shares, Consolidated Bakeries lost 5 cents to settle at $1.70 with 3,500 units changing hands. Elite Diagnostic advanced 25 cents to $3.15 with a transfer of 25,583 shares, Fontana gained 7 cents to close at $5.99 with 26,936 shares crossing the exchange, Fosrich rose $1.18 in closing at a record closing high of $7.18 after investors switched ownership of 149,733 stock. Honey Bun picked up 5 cents to finish at $5.09 with the trading of 55,600 shares, Indies Pharma closed 12 cents higher at $4.36 with an exchange of 71,313 units, Jamaican Teas gained 9 cents to end at $3.38 trading 541,001 units, Knutsford Express advanced 55 cents to $6.90 after a transfer of 43,806 shares Mailpac Group gained 9 cents in closing at $3.54 with 555,210 stock units changing hands and Medical Disposables rose 35 cents to $4.50 with the swapping of 5,560 units.
In the preference segment, CAC 2000 9.5% preference share declined 29 cents to end at $1.11 in exchanging 434 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.