The Junior Market recovered from a slight dip on Monday to record modest gains on Tuesday even as the number of securities declining outweigh those advancing as trading picked up, buoyed by dominant activity in shares of Lumber Depot, Main Event and Mailpac.
Lumber Depot dominated trading with 4.8 million shares
At the close of the market, the index advanced 17.20 points to close at 2,416. Market activities concluded with the prices of ten securities advancing, 13 declining and six remaining unchanged. The market average PE ratio ended at 9 times 2020-21 earnings.
Trading ended on Tuesday with 29 securities changing hands, resulting in an exchange of 12,280,544 units valued at $26,562,508 compared to 11,413,765 units valued at $23,915,377 from 34 securities on Monday.
Trading ended with an average of 423,467 units at $915,949, for each security traded, in contrast to 335,699 units for an average of $703,393 on Monday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 483,382 units valued at $1,101,248 and previously 486,618 units valued at $1,111,255. In contrast, March closed with an average of 226,230 units valued at $542,563 for each security traded.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows one stock ended with bids higher than its last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close of the market, Caribbean Assurance Brokers gained 5 cents to close at $2.25 with 647,069 units changing hands, Caribbean Cream gained 1 cent to settle at $2.27, exchanging 140,204 shares, Caribbean Producers ended with a loss of 8 cents at $2.52 in the swapping of 120,967 shares. Consolidated Bakeries rose 5 cents to $1.75 with 559 shares traded, Elite Diagnostic declined by 13 cents and swapped 32,000 units to settle at $3.75, Everything Fresh finished at 72 cents after falling 14 cents and trading 52,159 units. Fontana ended with a loss of 1 cent at $5.29 with 71,023 stock units changing hands, Fosrich exchanged 26,217 shares and climbed, 30 cents to end at $3.95, General Accident declined by 32 cents to settle at $4.98 with 51,100 shares changing hands. iCreate slipped 1 cent to 45 cents with an exchange of 1,007,244 units d, Jamaican Teas shed 2 cents in trading of 4,262 units to settle at $4.08, Jetcon Corporation declined 2 cents with 5,278 units crossing the market to close at $1. Knutsford Express climbed $1.99 to settle at $8.99 with 46,231 shares changing hands, 
Lasco Distributors shed 3 cents in trading of 43,601 units at $2.95, Lasco Financial closed market activity with 14,650 units crossing the exchange and gained 4 cents to end at $2.92. Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 32,261 shares and rose 2 cents to end at $3.90, Limners and Bards fell 6 cents to $1.94 in trading of 12,443 units, Lumber Depot declined 2 cents in swapping 4,795,516 units to finish at $1.13. Mailpac Group ended activity 1 cent higher at $1.76 with 1,472,663 shares traded, Main Event climbed 5 cents to settle at $1.19 with 1,880,010 shares changing hands, Medical Disposables exchanged 114,000 shares and rose 54 cents to end at $5.55. Stationery and Office Supplies closed with a loss of 50 cents at $6 in the swapping of 67,329 shares and tTech shred 77 cents to settle at $3.98 with 238,233 shares crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Market activity resulted in three securities changing hands, with one stock rising, one declining and one left unchanged. Investors exchanged 314,331 shares with a value of US$4,048, in contrast to just 18,205 units for US$623 on Monday. Proven Investments, one of the most popular and liquid stock in the market, has not traded for a second consecutive trading day.
The Market closed with an average of 467,969 units valued $2,080,475 for each security traded, in contrast to 410,412 units valued at an average of $2,124,137 on Friday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 996,058 units valued at $3,638,209 for each security changing hands, compared to 1,025,936 units valued at $3,731,907 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Key Insurance gained 30 cents after exchanging 46,773 stock units and closed at a 52 weeks’ high of $5.20, Mayberry Investments shed 35 cents to settle at $5.20, with a transfer of 202,000 shares. NCB Financial Group plunged $12 to end at $140, in trading 163,821 shares in reaction to the suspension of dividend payments by banks, mandated by Bank of Jamaica. PanJam Investment fell $1.85 to $75.50, with 1,760 units changing hands, Sagicor Group closed $3.37 lower in reaction to the suspension of dividends announced by Jamaica Central Bank and finished at $46, after trading 101,069 shares. Scotia Group also reacted negatively to the dividend suspension dropping $2 lower to end at $45, with 66,944 stock units crossing the exchange, Seprod fell $3.20 to $44.60, in transferring 2,255 units and Sygnus Credit Investments closed at $15.99, shedding 95 cents trading 23,433 stock units.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
KLE Group fell 10 cents in trading of 50,000 units to finish at $1.60. Lasco Distributors closed trading of 2,323 units and gained 1 cent to end at $2.98, Lasco Financial lost 7 cents in trading 10,995 shares to close at $2.88, Lasco Manufacturing exchanged 9,020 shares to settle at $3.88 after falling 2 cents. Limners and Bards dipped 1 cent to $2 with 5,446 stock units changing hands, Lumber Depot ended with a loss of 1 cent at $1.15 with 297,770 units trading, MailPac Group swapped 8,166,074 shares and rose 7 cents to end at $1.75. Medical Disposables fell 49 cents to $5.01 with 160,455 shares exchanged, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 40 cents and traded 582 shares to close at $6.50 and tTech climbed 54 cents to $4.75 with 2,000 shares crossing the exchange.
Market activity resulted in five securities changing hands, with one stock rising, two declining and two remaining unchanged. At the close, the market index lost 3.50 points to 190.18 and the average PE ratio ended at 13.1 times 2020 earnings.
At the close, the All Jamaican Composite Index rose 1,331.58 points to close at 418,817, the JSE Market Index gained 1,205.42 points to close at 381,593.65 and the JSE Financial Index added 0.55 points to 103.52.
The Market closed with an average of 410,412 units valued at $2,124,137 for each security traded, in contrast to 418,093 units valued at $3,884,360 on Wednesday. The average volume and value for the month to date amount to 1,025,936 units valued at $3,731,907 for each security changing hands, compared to 1,060,899 units valued at $3,829,348 for each security traded. Trading in March resulted in an average of 1,146,245 units valued at $7,550,295 for each security.
Jamaica Stock Exchange lost 37 cents to end at $20.63 after 11,170 shares passed through the market, JMMB Group dropped $1.44 and closed at $36, after exchanging 213,331 stock units, Mayberry Investments gained 32 cents trading 22,096 stock units and closed at $5.55.NCB Financial Group rose $2 to end at $152, with 47,023 units changing hands, PanJam Investment traded 1,465 and fell $2.35 to close at $77.35, Proven Investments jumped $2.79 to close at $38.79 after 9,478 shares changed hands. Pulse Investments lost 35 cents in exchanging 3,858,682 stock units at $2.05, Salada Foods dropped $2.90 to $26, in exchanging 5,901 units. Sagicor Group traded 38,531 and lost 38 cents to end at $49.37 and Scotia Group rose $2 after transferring 21,667 stock units to finish at $47.
At the close, the Junior Market Index advanced 35.13 points to close at 2,414.24 after risen over 50 points at one stage of the day and left the average PE ratio ended at 8.8 times 2020-21 earnings. Market activities resulted in prices of 6 securities advancing, 12 losing and 12 remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
iCreate ended with a loss of 1 cent at 47 cents, with 5,793 stock units changing hands, Jamaican Teas fell
At the close, the market lost 9.36 points to 193.68. The PE ratio of the market closed with an average of 13.4 times 2020 earnings.
The JSE Market Index fell by 3,337.15 points to 380,388.23 and the JSE Financial Index slid 1.32 points to 102.97.
IC bid-offer Indicator│ At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows nine stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven securities closing with lower offers. The PE ratio of the market ended at 14.1, while the Main Market ended at 14.3 times 2020-21 earnings.
Key Insurance gained 90 cents to finish at a record $4.90, with 57,241 units changing hands. Mayberry Investments gained 47 cents trading 6,101 stock units and closed at $5.87, NCB Financial Group sustained a loss of $4.93 to end at $150, in swapping 24,481 units, Salada Foods bounced $1.95 to $28.90, having gained in exchanging 100 units. Seprod rose 50 cents after transferring 8,376 stock units to finish at $48, Stanley Motta traded 500 units at $4.70, after picking up 33 cents, Sygnus Credit Investments added 50 cents to end at $17, with 25,122 stock units changing hands and Wisynco Group ended the day at $17.50, with a loss of $1.18 with 63,156 shares crossing the exchange.
At the close, the market advanced by 12.88 points to 203.04. The PE ratio of the market closed with an average of 13.2 times 2020 earnings.
