The Junior Market climbed 26.97 points to close at 3,669.73, complete trading at a new record close on Thursday after the market topped out on August 14, 2019, at 3,662.94, some two and a half years ago and follows the record intraday high earlier this week when the market hit 3,700.02 points in early trading on Monday.
Market activity led to all 43 Junior Market securities trading on Thursday compared to 42 on Wednesday and ended with 23 rising, 12 declining and eight, closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 16.3. The PE ratio of each stock in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years, up to August 2022.
Trading closed, with the volume of stocks traded rising 54 percent and the value surging 45 percent over Wednesday’s trades as 14,330,907 shares traded for $44,562,678 up from 9,334,543 units at $30,769,347 on Wednesday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 7.9 million shares for 55.1 percent of total volume followed by Mailpac Group with 1.37 million units for 9.6 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source, 617,019 units for 4.3 percent market share.
Trading averaged 333,277 shares at $1,036,341 in contrast to 222,251 shares at $732,603 on Wednesday and month to date, an average of 323,991 units at $1,196,703 compared to 323,421 units at $1,206,540 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows no stock ended with a bid higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, CAC 2000 rallied 72 cents to end at $8.25 in an exchange of 50 shares, Cargo Handlers dropped 30 cents to close at $7, with 3,570 stock units clearing the market, Caribbean Cream climbed 27 cents to end at $5.27 after exchanging 2,327 stocks. Dolphin Cove popped 10 cents to close at $22.60 after trading 130,213 units with the price hitting an intraday high of $24.40. Elite Diagnostic advanced 30 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $4 while exchanging 49,005 stock units, Fontana rose 16 cents to $7.85 with the swapping of 346,988 shares. Fosrich gained 26 cents in closing at $14.83 with 11,944 stocks crossing the exchange, Future Energy Source increased 12 cents to close at $3.41 in trading 617,019 units, Honey Bun declined 30 cents to end at $9.25 in switching ownership of 130,247 shares. Indies Pharma shed 7 cents after ending at $3.08, with 74,482 stock units changing hands, Iron Rock Insurance increased 33 cents in closing at $3.30 after an exchange of 100 stocks, ISP Finance fell $2.51 to end at $35.49 and trading 336 units. Jamaican Teas rose 16 cents after ending at $4.26 in an exchange of 367,087 shares, Lasco Manufacturing lost 30 cents to $4.63 trading 3,776 stocks, Lumber Depot gained 14 cents to close at $3.18 after an exchange of 578,815 units.
Medical Disposables gained 57 cents to $7.29 trading 189 stock units, Paramount Trading rallied 16 cents ending at a 52 weeks’ of $2.03 with an exchange of 236,189 stocks, SSL Venture fell 30 cents to end at $1.90 in trading 225,157 stock units and tTech popped 20 cents to close at $4.20 after 36,447 shares changed hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market eyeing record close
Trading closed on Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 28 percent and the value slipping 22 percent lower than on Tuesday, but the market index held on to most of its early gains at the close of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
A total of 42 securities traded similar to Tuesday and ended with 15 rising, 16 declining and 11, closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index climbed 23.96 points to settle at 3,642.76, just 20 points away from the August 2019 record close.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 16.1. The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
A total of 9,334,543 shares traded for $30,769,347 compared to 12,971,456 units at $39,367,165 on Tuesday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 2.22 million shares for 23.8 percent of total volume followed by Future Energy Source with 1.94 million units for 20.7 percent of the day’s trade and Lumber Depot with 885,926 units for 9.5 percent market share.
Trading averaged 222,251 shares at $732,603 in contrast to 308,844 shares at $937,313 on Tuesday and month to date, an average of 323,421 units at $1,206,540, compared to 329,869 units at $1,236,745, previously. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial increased $1 in closing at $24 after an exchange of 5,226 shares, AMG Packaging advanced 15 cents to close at $3.30 in trading 149,663 stock units, Blue Power lost 9 cents in ending at $3.16 after 4,655 stocks were traded. CAC 2000 dropped 77 cents to $7.53 in switching ownership of 2,921 units, Cargo Handlers fell 21 cents to $7.30 in an exchange of 1,001 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 10 cents to finish at $2.99 with the swapping of 144,260 shares. Caribbean Cream shed 20 cents in ending at $5, with 301,934 units changing hands, Consolidated Bakeries declined 9 cents to close at $1 in trading 160,517 stock units, Elite Diagnostic popped 21 cents to end at $3.70, with 78,665 units clearing the market. Fosrich dropped 23 cents in closing at $14.57 while exchanging 49,509 stock units, Future Energy Source fell 11 cents to $3.29 with an exchange of 1,936,712 shares, iCreate declined 7 cents to close at 78 cents after 338,244 stocks crossed the market. Iron Rock Insurance lost 13 cents to end at $2.97 with 15,424 units changing hands, ISP Finance spiked $8.50 to $38 after exchanging one stock unit, Jamaican Teas rallied 7 cents to $4.10 trading 39,341 stocks. 
Knutsford Express rose 10 cents to $8 with 12,150 shares changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing rallied 37 cents in closing at $4.93 after 642,854 shares passed through the exchange, Lumber Depot rose 7 cents to $3.04 in trading 885,926 stocks. Mailpac Group gained 13 cents to end at $3.34 after trading 595,822 units, Spur Tree Spices increased 16 cents to close at $2.46 with 2,218,267 stock units changing hands, SSL Venture shed 9 cents to $2.20 after 479,032 stock units crossed the market and Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 24 cents to close at $5.99 after trading 54,587 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market backs off attaching record
Trading activity eased on Tuesday and led to a fall in the market index of 35.13 points to settle at 3,618.80 after the volume and value of stocks trading declined from Monday’s levels on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
At the close of the market, all but one security traded, resulting from 42 active securities compared to 39 on Monday and ended with 14 rising, 17 declining and 11, closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 15.9. The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
A total of 12,971,456 shares traded for $39,367,165 up from 12,036,880 units at $36,747,444 on Monday. Spur Tree Spice led trading with 2.99 million shares for 23 percent of total volume followed by Future Energy Source with 1.87 million units for 14.4 percent of the day’s trade and Consolidated Bakeries with 1.74 million units for 13.4 percent market share.
Trading averaged 308,844 shares at $937,313 versus 308,638 shares at $942,242 on Monday and the month to date, averaging 329,869 units at $1,236,745, down from 331,300 units at $1,257,128 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with a bid higher than the last selling price and one with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial shed $2 in closing at $23, with trading of 35,148 shares, Blue Power popped 10 cents to end at $3.25 while trading 100,829 stock units, Cargo Handlers climbed 31 cents to close at $7.51 after exchanging 255,892 stocks. Caribbean Cream fell 20 cents to $5.20 in trading 65,225 units, Caribbean Flavours gained 7 cents after ending at $1.97, with 1,128 stocks crossing the market, Dolphin Cove rallied 19 cents to $22.50 trading 119,669 shares. Fosrich fell 15 cents in closing at $14.80 after exchanging 85,510 units, Future Energy Source lost 9 cents in ending at $3.40 with the swapping of 1,866,716 stock units, Honey Bun rose 9 cents to close at $9.59, with 62,258 units changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance advanced 7 cents to end at $3.10 in trading 90 stock units, ISP Finance dropped $6.80 to end at $29.50 in an exchange of 1,217 shares, Jamaican Teas shed 16 cents to $4.03, with 259,746 stocks crossing the exchange. Knutsford Express dropped 9 cents to close at $7.90 in exchanging 10,000 shares, Lasco Manufacturing lost 40 cents to finish at $4.56, with 145,699 stocks clearing the market, Mailpac Group declined 9 cents in closing at $3.21 with an exchange of 765,392 stock units. 
Medical Disposables fell 77 cents to $6.72 trading 34,036 units, Paramount Trading increased 24 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.87 in switching ownership of 325,700 stocks, Spur Tree Spices gained 9 cents to close at $2.30 trading 2,987,477 units. SSL Venture advanced 56 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.29 while exchanging 460,347 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 15 cents to end at $5.75 with the swapping of 21,345 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Junior Market closes in on new record
In a bullish trading session on Monday, the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market index surged 114 points to 3,700.02 within a few minutes of opening and closed with a big 68.18 points rally at 3,653.93, just 9 points below the all-time closing high in 2019, as the volume of stocks traded declined 27 percent and the value slipping 36 percent lower than on Friday.
A total of 39 securities traded versus 40 on Friday and ended with 20 rising, 10 declining and nine ending unchanged.
Three stocks closed at 52 weeks’ highs, leading the market to gain 6.6 percent year to date, up from 4 percent at the same time in 2021.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages16, The PE ratio of each stock in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
A total of 12,036,880 shares traded for $36,747,444 compared to 16,579,452 units at $57,855,045 on Friday. Spur Tree Spices traded 4.73 million shares to lead with 39.3 percent of total volume followed by Mailpac Group, 1.55 million units, with 12.9 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source with 1.01 million units for 8.4 percent market share.
Trading averaged 308,638 shares at $942,242 down from 414,486 shares at $1,446,376 on Friday and month to date, an average of 331,300 units at $1,257,128, compared to 332,829 units at $1,278,375 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial fell $1.28 to $25, with 3,328 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging gained 15 cents in closing at $3.20, with 183,960 stock units clearing the market, Blue Power declined 36 cents to $3.15 after 3,435 units changed hands. Caribbean Flavours dropped 7 cents to end at $1.90 with the swapping of 475,469 stocks, Consolidated Bakeries climbed 10 cents to close at $1.09 in switching ownership of 365,585 shares, Dolphin Cove rallied 6 cents to close at $22.31, after 85,458 units crossed the exchange. Everything Fresh increased 5 cents to 99 cents, with 324 stocks crossing the market, Fosrich rose 46 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $14.95 with an exchange of 119,385 stock units, Honey Bun shed 10 cents in closing at $9.50 after exchanging 28,435 shares. Indies Pharma advanced 5 cents to $3.15 after swapping 123,906 stock units, Jamaican Teas popped 20 cents to $4.19 in an exchange of 773,560 stocks, Jetcon Corporation fell 5 cents in closing at 88 cents trading 140,581 units. KLE Group increased 16 cents in ending at $2.96 after trading 200 stock units, Lasco Financial advanced 19 cents to close at $3.22 after 153,623 shares changed hands, Lasco Manufacturing popped 40 cents to end at $4.96, with 55,467 units crossing the market. 
Lumber Depot rallied 7 cents to close at $2.97 while exchanging 322,756 stocks, Paramount Trading gained 26 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.63 after exchanging 159,238 units, Spur Tree Spices rose 6 cents to $2.21 after exchanging 4,733,067 shares. SSL Venture climbed 43 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $1.73 while exchanging 417,575 stock units and Stationery and Office Supplies rose 16 cents to $5.90, with 54,635 stocks crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Juniors closing in on old 2019 record close
Trading closed on Friday, moved the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market closer to the 3,600 points level ahead of the old record close of August 2019 of 3,662.94 points, with a rise of 16.13 points at the close of Friday to settle at 3,585.75 after trading up to 3,630 points in the early trading session.
Trading calmed, with Spur Tree slipping under 10 million units, but still played a big part in the 16,579,452 shares that traded for $57,855,045, down from 26,022,456 units at $87,517,746 on Thursday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 8.57 million shares for 51.7 percent of total volume followed by Future Energy Source with 2.3 million units for 13.9 percent of the day’s trade and Jamaican Teas traded 765,118 units for 4.6 percent market share.
A total of 40 securities traded compared to 43 on Thursday and ended with 15 rising, 19 declining and six, closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 16. The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
Trading averaged 414,486 shares at $1,446,376 in contrast to 605,173 shares at $2,035,296 on Thursday and month to date, an average of 332,829 units at $1,278,375, compared to 326,758 units at $1,265,884 on the prior trading day. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one stock with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial rallied $1.27 to end at $26.28 after exchanging 3,509 shares, CAC 2000 rose 77 cents to close at $8.27 after trading 100 units, Cargo Handlers shed 28 cents to $7.20 with the swapping of 47,124 stock units. Caribbean Assurance Brokers dropped 13 cents in closing at $2.90 in switching ownership of 471,657 stocks, Caribbean Cream advanced 25 cents to $5.40 while exchanging 100 shares, Consolidated Bakeries fell 11 cents to close at 99 cents 313,892 units crossing the exchange. Dolphin Cove gained $2.25 to end at $22.25 in trading 698,461 stocks, Express Catering lost 25 cents in closing at $5.10, with 478,008 stock units clearing the market, Fosrich popped $2.44 to a record $14.49 after 5,368 units changed hands. Future Energy Source increased 25 cents ending at $3.45 after trading 2,299,167 stock units, General Accident declined 30 cents to close at $6 in an exchange of 28,495 shares, Honey Bun climbed 15 cents to end at $9.60, with 1,539 stocks crossing the market. iCreate shed 9 cents after ending at 79 cents in exchanging 378,448 units, Iron Rock Insurance gained 10 cents to $3, with 2,287 stocks changing hands, ISP Finance rallied $3.30 in closing at $36.30 trading 34 shares. Jamaican Teas increased 10 cents to $3.99 with an exchange of 765,118 stock units, KLE Group fell 15 cents in ending at $2.80 after exchanging 17,063 stock units, Lasco Financial popped 7 cents in closing at $3.03 with 59,980 shares changing hands. 
Limners and Bards lost 7 cents to close at $3.42 with an exchange of 40,153 units, Lumber Depot declined 9 cents to end at $2.90 after an exchange of 435,151 stocks, Main Event dropped 40 cents in closing at $3.98, with 32,127 units clearing the market. Spur Tree Spices fell 13 cents to $2.15 in trading 8,566,940 shares, SSL Venture popped 40 cents in ending at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.30 after exchanging 187,244 stock units and tTech declined 20 cents to close at $4 with 6,760 stocks changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Big surge in Junior Market on Thursday
The Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market index surged more than 114 points in early trading on Thursday and ended lower but with a healthy increase of 66.87 points, to end at 3,569.62, with the volume of stocks trading declining 52 percent and the value dropping 56 percent from Wednesday’s healthy 55 million units at nearly $200 million.
All 43 securities listed on the Junior Market traded on Thursday, up from 41 on Wednesday and ended with 18 rising, 17 declining and eight ending unchanged.
A total of 26,022,456 shares traded for $87,517,746 down from 54,515,428 units at $197,029,437 Wednesday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 15.23 million shares for 58.5 percent of total volume, but the stock price pulled back from Wednesday’s record, followed by Express Catering with 2.87 million units for 11 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source, 1.35 million units for 5.2 percent market share and Lumber Depot, 1.32 million units changing hands for 5.1 percent market share.
Trading averaged 605,173 shares at $2,035,296 compared to 1,329,645 shares at $4,805,596 on Wednesday, with the month to date, averaging 326,758 units at $1,265,884, versus 302,573 units at $1,199,046 on the previous day. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two stocks with lower offers.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 16. The PE ratio of each stock in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
At the close, Access Financial dropped $2.99 to end at $25.01 in exchanging 24,256 shares, AMG Packaging declined 20 cents to $3.10 trading 105,055 units, Blue Power popped 40 cents to close at $3.51 in an exchange of 6,121 stock units. CAC 2000 fell 50 cents to $7.50, with 312 stocks clearing the market, Caribbean Cream advanced 15 cents to $5.15 in trading 67,156 stocks, Caribbean Flavours increased 7 cents to end at $1.97, with 9,500 stock units changing hands. Dolphin Cove lost 50 cents in closing at $20 after 516,957 units crossed the exchange, Express Catering shed 25 cents to $5.35 trading 2,865,794 shares, Future Energy Source climbed 20 cents to close at $3.20 while exchanging 1,345,148 stocks. GWest Corporation rose 10 cents and ended at $1 as 460,890 stock units crossed the market, Honey Bun declined 35 cents to $9.45 after exchanging 11,532 shares, Iron Rock Insurance shed 20 cents to $2.90, with 1,600 units crossing the market. ISP Finance rallied $3 to end at $33 with an exchange of 120 stocks, Jamaican Teas gained 8 cents in closing at $3.89 after exchanging 698,854 shares, Lasco Distributors advanced 10 cents to close at $3.23 in switching ownership of 184,220 units.
Lasco Financial dropped 32 cents to $2.96 after 34,587 stock units changed hands, Lasco Manufacturing fell 10 cents to $4.55 with the swapping of 123,866 stock units, Main Event rose 40 cents to close at $4.38 with an exchange of 6,491 shares. Spur Tree Spices lost 37 cents in closing at $2.28 after exchanging 15,232,910 stock units, SSL Venture lost 8 cents to end at 90 cents, with 206 units crossing the exchange and tTech rallied 15 cents in closing at $4.20 trading 5,699 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Huge trading day for Junior Market stocks
The Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market sprang into serious action on Wednesday, with the overall volume of the market surging 182 percent after 240 percent more funds entered the market than on Tuesday and leading to a minor fall in the market index as Spur Tree Spices and Express Catering controlled 86 percent of the volume of stocks traded.
A total of 41 securities traded on Wednesday similar to Tuesday and ended with 18 rising, 13 declining and 10 closing unchanged. At the close, the Junior Market Index shed 15.44 points to settle at 3,502.75.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 15.8. The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
A total of 54,515,428 shares traded for $197,029,437 versus 19,336,528 units at $57,883,987 on Tuesday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 25.67 million shares for 47.1 percent of total volume followed by Express Catering, 21.21 million units for 38.9 percent of the day’s trade and iCreate with 1.47 million units for 2.7 percent market share. Future Energy Source was the only other stock to exceed a million shares and ended with 1.27 million units changing hands for 2.3 percent market share.
Trading averaged 1,329,645 shares at $4,805,596 up from 471,623 shares at $1,411,805 on Tuesday with month to date, averaging 302,573 units at $1,199,046, compared to 209,819 units at $873,344 previously. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows eight stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial climbed $4.50 to a 52 weeks’ high of $28 in an exchange of 11,960 shares, AMG Packaging dropped 30 cents to close at $3.30 after exchanging 185,768 stock units, Dolphin Cove popped 51 cents in closing at $20.50 in trading 520,727 units. Elite Diagnostic rallied 24 cents to $3.49 while exchanging 319,675 stocks, Fosrich increased 14 cents to end at $12, with 55,399 stocks crossing the market, GWest Corporation lost 10 cents in closing at 90 cents after an exchange of 5,487 units. Honey Bun rose 32 cents to $9.80, with 93,959 shares changing hands, Indies Pharma fell 15 cents to $3 in trading 144,474 stock units, Iron Rock Insurance declined 15 cents after ending at $3.10 with an exchange of 3,000 stock units. ISP Finance shed $8 to close at $30 in exchanging 1,900 units, KLE Group advanced 38 cents to $2.93 in switching ownership of 3,600 shares, Lasco Distributors dropped 17 cents to $3.13 clearing the market with 652,520 stocks. 
Limners and Bards gained 10 cents to close at $3.49 after trading 17,843 stock units, Medical Disposables fell 45 cents in closing at $7.50 with the swapping of 2,112 shares, Spur Tree Spices advanced 33 cents to end at 52 weeks’ high of $2.65 and closed with 25,673,548 stocks changing hands and tTech declined 25 cents in closing at $4.05 after exchanging 2,059 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Spur Tree spices up 132% since listing
Newly listed, Spur Tree Spices, rallied 30 percent in trading on Tuesday for a third consecutive day to gain 132 percent since the IPO in December, on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market, with investors exchanging nearly 11 million of the company’s shares in pushing the volume of stocks trading for the day up 92 percent and the value 80 percent higher than on Monday as the market index closed 15.21 points higher to 3,518.19.
Market activity led to 41 securities trading compared to 39 on Monday and ended with 17 rising, 16 declining and eight, closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 15.2. The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
Overall, 19,336,528 shares traded for $57,883,987 up from 10,061,196 units at $32,241,574 on Monday. Recently listed Spur Tree Spices led trading with 10.69 million shares in controlling 55.3 percent of total volume followed by Lasco Manufacturing with 2.36 million units for 12.2 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source with 1.57 million units for 8.1 percent market share.
Trading averaged 471,623 shares at $1,411,805 in contrast to 257,979 shares at $826,707 on Monday and month to date, averaging 209,819 units at $873,344, compared to 183,829 units at $819,889 on Monday. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one stock with a lower offer.
At the close, Access Financial rose $2.75 ending at $23.50, the highest price since January 2021, with the swapping of 20,246 shares, AMG Packaging shed 5 cents to end at $3.60, with 535,137 stock units crossing the exchange, Blue Power declined 25 cents in closing at $3.10 after 23,354 units changed hands. CAC 2000 fell 30 cents to close at $8 while exchanging 2,401 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dipped 8 cents to $2.95 after trading 183,124 units, Caribbean Cream lost 30 cents to close at $5, with an exchange of 177,936 stocks. Fontana gained 10 cents in closing at $7.70 trading 86,777 stock units, Future Energy Source lost 6 cents after ending at $2.93 in exchanging 1,568,726 shares, General Accident popped 31 cents to $6.30, with 301 stocks clearing the market. Honey Bun climbed 28 cents to end at $9.48 in exchanging 39,155 shares, Indies Pharma rallied 15 cents to end at $3.15, with 60,470 units crossing the market, Iron Rock Insurance shed 16 cents at $3.25 with an exchange of 1,630 stock units. Jamaican Teas dropped 6 cents in closing at $3.79, with 430,951 stock units changing hands, Lasco Distributors advanced 5 cents to close at $3.30 in exchanging 35,410 units, Lasco Manufacturing gained 5 cents to end at $4.70 in switching ownership of 2,355,566 shares. 
Mailpac Group advanced 6 cents to $3.36 in an exchange of 403,848 stocks, Main Event fell 40 cents to $3.90 trading 26,432 stocks, Medical Disposables increased $1.84 to a 52 weeks’ high of $7.95, with 29,190 stock units crossing the exchange. Spur Tree Spices rallied 57 cents to end at $2.32 in trading 10,690,992 units and Stationery and Office Supplies popped 10 cents to close at $5.75 finishing at 5,105 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Spur Tree up 75% pushes Junior Market higher
Spur Tree Spices on the second day of trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market closed at a record $1.75 to be up 75 percent from the IPO price, with only a small fraction of the more than 23 million shares that were placed on the bid at $1.72 before trading opened on Monday, or the more than 29.6 million on the bid at a few minutes after 11 o’clock in the morning after 1.37 million shares were traded, at the close the bid ended at $1.75 to purchase 17.2 million shares, with just 24,113 on offer at $1.76.
Market activity ended with 39 securities trading compared to 40 on Friday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 49 percent and the value down by 74 percent from Friday activities. At the close 16 stocks gained, 15 declined and eight traded unchanged.
The Junior Market Index jumped 32.81 points to settle at 3,502.98. The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 14.8. The PE ratios stocks in the chart below are based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial year ends up to August 2022.
A total of 10,061,196 shares traded for $32,241,574 down from 19,875,289 units at $123,323,735 on Friday. Future Energy Source led trading with 1.93 million shares for 19.2 percent of total volume followed by Lumber Depot with 1.72 million units for 17.1 percent of the day’s trade and Spur Tree Spices with 1.37 million units for 13.6 percent market share.
Trading averaged 257,979 shares at $826,707 in contrast to 496,882 shares at $3,083,093 on Friday with the month to date, averaging 183,829 units at $819,889, compared to 176,097 units at $819,178 on the previous day of trading. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three stocks with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rose 75 cents ending at $20.75 with the swapping of 199,203 shares, as some of the long overhanging of selling seem to be easing, AMG Packaging advanced 25 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.65, with 410,066 stocks changing hands after posting an increase of 146 percent in profits for the first quarter to November after trading on Friday. Caribbean Cream lost 59 cents to $5.30 while exchanging 207,038 units as investors reacted negatively to a loss in the company’s November quarterly results. Consolidated Bakeries declined 23 cents to close at $1.10 after 281,574 stock units crossed the market, Dolphin Cove gained 95 cents to end at $20 in trading 130,426 shares, Express Catering climbed 31 cents to $5.51 trading 23,600 stocks. Fontana increased 20 cents to end at $7.60 in exchanging 182,312 stock units, Fosrich dropped 10 cents in closing at $11.89 after 13,625 units changed hands, General Accident shed 30 cents to close at $5.99 in an exchange of 3,300 stocks. Honey Bun popped 20 cents to $9.20, with 30,034 units crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors rallied 15 cents to close at $3.25 after exchanging 57,411 stock units, Mailpac Group rose 20 cents to $3.30 with an exchange of 274,246 shares. 
Medical Disposables fell $1.29 to end at $6.11 with 31,057 shares changing hands, Spur Tree Spices rallied 43 cents ending at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.75 as 1,369,946 units traded and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 20 cents in closing at $5.65, with 6,830 stock units clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Spur Tree Spices gains 32% on listing debut
Newly listed Spur Tree Spices gained 32 percent after climbing 32 cents to an all-time high of $1.32 after exchanging 56,569 stocks on the first day listed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Friday and helping the overall volume of stocks traded to jump 234 percent and the value surging 326 percent higher than on Thursday after nearly 13 million units of Fontana shares passed through the market with a value of $96 million.
A total of 40 securities trading compared to 35 on Thursday and ended with 14 rising, 15 declining and 11, closing unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index lost 13.25 points to end at 3,470.17.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 14.7 The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on ICInsider.com earnings forecast for companies with financial years up to August 2022.
Some 19,875,289 shares traded for $123,323,735 compared to 5,944,460 units at $28,932,503 on Thursday. Fontana led trading with 12.91 million shares for 65 percent of total volume followed by Lumber Depot with 1.46 million stock units for 7.3 percent of the day’s trade and iCreate with 1.09 million units for 5.5 percent market share.
Trading averaged 496,882 shares at $3,083,093 in contrast to 169,842 shares at $826,643 on Thursday with the month to date averaging 176,097 units at $819,178, compared to 137,680 units at $548,051 on Thursday. December closed with an average of 409,209 units at $1,318,877.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows no stock ending with the bid higher than the last selling price and four closed with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial rallied 89 cents to end at $20, with 8,659 shares crossing the exchange, AMG Packaging popped 17 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.40 while exchanging 240,608 units, Blue Power shed 30 cents ending at $3.35 in an exchange of 156 stock units. CAC 2000 rose 30 cents to $8.30 after exchanging 100 stocks, Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 11 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.12 in switching ownership of 225,543 units, Caribbean Cream lost 11 cents to close at $5.89 in trading 38,557 stocks. Consolidated Bakeries popped 12 cents to $1.33 with 20,609 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove declined 95 cents to end at $19.05, with 385,686 stock units clearing the market, Elite Diagnostic climbed 9 cents in closing at $3.18 after trading 103,682 stock units. General Accident increased 28 cents in ending at $6.29 after exchanging 20,043 shares, Honey Bun dropped 10 cents in closing at $9 with the swapping of 63,479 units, Indies Pharma fell 19 cents to close at $3.01 in trading 202,836 stocks. Lasco Distributors declined 5 cents to $3.10, with 224,695 units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing lost 15 cents to end at $4.70 after 5,828 shares crossed the market, Limners and Bards fell 9 cents to $3.40 after an exchange of 451,750 stocks.
Mailpac Group dropped 20 cents to close at $3.10 trading 671,259 stock units, Main Event shed 45 cents in ending at $4.30 with an exchange of 611 units, Medical Disposables fell 10 cents to $7.40 in an exchange of 3,500 shares. Paramount Trading rose 18 cents in closing at $1.48 while exchanging 17,226 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies rose 10 cents to $5.85 after exchanging 2,752 shares and Tropical Battery inched 5 cents up to $1.28 in switching ownership of 35,902 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
