Lasco’s ICool – the company’s stock jumped sharply on Friday.
The Junior Market index advanced 41.20 points to close at 3,077.23 on Friday as heavy weight Lasco Manufacturing rose 18.5 percent and Express Catering recover some lost ground in adding 50 cents with advancing stocks beating those declining two to one.
At the close of market activities, 26 securities changed hands, compared to 32 on Thursday, resulting in prices of 11 rising, 6 declining and 9 remaining unchanged.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows 10 stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and 4 with lower offers.
Market activity led to an increase in trading of more than 50 percent with an exchange of 2,959,240 units valued at $11,853,905 compared to 1,878,043 units valued at $7,197,867.01 on Thursday. The average trade for the day amounts to 113,817 units for an average of $455,919 in contrast to 58,689 units for an average of $224,933 on Thursday. The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 81,626 units for an average of $311,248 and previously, 80,150 units for an average of $304,282. In contrast, April closed with an average of 87,963 units valued $317,267 for each security traded.
At the close of the market, Access Financial dropped $1.80 to $43.20, with an exchange of 10,750 shares, as the company reported lower profit than the prior year. AMG Packaging ended with a loss of 1 cent at $2, with 75,900 stock units changing hands, Blue Power concluded trading of 7,724 units at $4.50, Cargo Handlers settled at $9.25, with 1,826 shares changing hands, Caribbean Flavours traded 2,370 stock units and climbed $1, to close $17. Caribbean Producers ended trading of 48,776 units at $4.30, Consolidated Bakeries closed with a rise of 20 cents at $2, with investors exchanging 1,456 shares, Derrimon Trading ended 9 cents higher at $2.90, with 61,941 shares traded, Everything Fresh settled at $1.47, with 70,000 units changing hands. Elite Diagnostic ended trading with 96,602 shares, and rose 30 cents to end at $4, Express Catering climbed 50 cents and exchanged 4,350 shares at $7.50, FosRich Group closed with a loss of 5 cents at $4.75, with a swapping of 79,909 shares. Fontana closed 10 cents higher at $4.30, with 311,751 stock units trading, General Accident ended at $4.20, with 19,771 units crossing the exchange, Honey Bun finished at $4.99, with 51,300 shares changing hands, Indies Pharma ended trading 5 cents higher at $3.15, with 126,027 stock units. Iron Rock traded at $3.50, with 39,020 units, Jamaican Teas closed with a loss of 5 cents at $4.25, with 59,809 shares traded, Knutsford Express jumped $1.60 higher to $12.50, with 29,192 shares changing hands, 
Lasco Distributors ended trading of 398,051 shares with a loss of 15 cents to close at $3.55. Lasco Financial traded 84,397 shares at $5, Lasco Manufacturing jumped 60 cents to close at $3.85 trading 1,348,820 stock units, as investors responded strongly to the company’s improved 2019 profit results. SSL Venture Capital finished 4 cents higher at $1.65, with 6,886 shares crossing the exchange, Stationery and Office settled at $9.04, with 5,000 stock units changing hands and tTech traded 17,112 shares with a loss of 1 cent at $5.70. In the junior market preference segment, CAC 2000 closed 15 cents higher at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.30, with 500 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those at which the last trade took place.
Proven Investments rose $1 to close at $35 with an exchange of 4,770 shares, Salada Foods added $5.25 and ended trading at $35.25, with an exchange of a mere 100 stock units. Scotia Group declined by 50 cents to close at $51.50, with 21,344 shares changing hands, Seprod fell 55 cents, trading 18,546 shares to close at $47.45 and Supreme Ventures finished with a rise of 36 cents to close at $31.86, with an exchange of 59,411 units.
The main market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange ended trading for the 5th straight record close on Thursday and the 14th record close for the year. 
Kingston Wharves settled at $70, with 3,899 units trading after gaining by $1, NCB Financial Group lost $2 trading 416,899 shares to end at $161. PanJam Investment dropped $1.40 and ended at $95.50, with 18,515 units trading, Pulse Investments finished at $2.55, with 45,001 shares, Proven Investments rose 50 cents to close at $34 with an exchange of 300 shares, Sagicor Group added $1.48 and ended trading at $49.98, with an exchange of 470,884 stock units and Seprod added $2.05 in trading 123,705 shares to close at $48.
The Junior Market index advanced 9.59 points to close at 3,036.03 on Thursday, but with advancing stocks lagging those declining as the dollar value of trading jumping sharply by 235 percent and volume by 357 percent. 
Knutsford Express dived $1.40 to close at $10.90, trading 500 shares, Lasco Distributors ended trading 260,827 shares at $3.70. Lasco Financial traded 17,682 shares and garnered 14 cents to close at $5, Lasco Manufacturing fell by 25 cents to end at $3.25, with an exchange of 17,700 stock units, Main Event closed 14 cents higher at $5.35, with 20,965 units changing hands, Medical Disposables ended with a loss of $1.35 at $5.50, with 25,000 shares trading. Paramount Trading concluded trading with 13,746 shares, at $2.10, SSL Venture Capital finished at $1.61, with an exchange of 5,215 shares, Stationery and Office settled with a loss of 46 cents at $9.04, with 21,200 stock units changing hands and tTech traded 22,000 shares with a loss of 2 cents to close at $5.71.
Jetcon Corporation ended 15 cents higher at $2, with an exchange of 8,565 shares, Key Insurance concluded trading with 5,000 stock units at $3.35. Knutsford Express settled at $12.30, with an exchange of 105 shares, Lasco Distributors ended trading of 158,443 shares with a loss of 10 cents in closing at $3.70, Lasco Financial exchanged 10,500 shares and rose 1 cent to $4.86, Lasco Manufacturing concluded trading of 110,603 stock units and rose 45 cents to close at $3.50. Main Event closed at $5.21, with 6,836 units trading, Stationery and Office added 42 cents in closing at $9.50, with an exchange of 75,974 stock units and tTech traded 38,213 shares after rising 2 cents to end at $5.73.
Salada Foods dropped $4.65 to $31 in trading 9,982 stock units. Scotia Group gained 60 cents to close at $52, with 94,766 shares trading, Seprod added $1.95 in trading 60,251 shares to close at $45.95 and Stanley Motta gained 30 cents and ended at $5 trading 16,52 shares.
Trading for April resulted in an average of 157,923 shares at $3,718,919, for each security traded.
trading at $48.01, with an exchange of 271,975 stock units, Salada Foods surged $5.65 to $35.65 in trading 565 stock units. Scotia Group shed $1.60 to $51.40, with 162,037 shares trading, Seprod added $1 trading 15,149 shares to close at $44, Stanley Motta fell 30 cents and ended at $4.70 trading 17,800 shares and Supreme Ventures rose 50 cents to finish at $31.50, with 103,297 units changing hands.
The Junior Market index declined 17.43 points to close at 3,021.67 on Tuesday, but with advancing stocks beating out decliners by a ratio of three to two.
Jetcon Corporation ended with a loss of 8 cents at $1.85, in trading 8,199 shares, Knutsford Express settled 40 cents higher at $12.30, with an exchange of 4,434 shares, Lasco Distributors ended trading 41,367 shares at $3.80. Lasco Financial traded 327,301 shares after rising 15 cents to close at $4.85, Lasco Manufacturing closed 5 cents higher at $3.05, with 6,014 stock units crossing the exchange, Main Event closed 11 cents higher at $5.21, with an exchange of 8,278 units. SSL Venture Capital finished with a loss of 9 cents at $1.61, with an exchange of 16,350 shares, Stationery and Office settled 4 cents higher at $9.08, while trading 3,000 stock units and tTech finished $5.71 higher at $5.71, with 2,965 shares changing hands.
Sagicor Group rose 50 cents and ended trading at $48.50, with an exchange of 2,950,094 stock units, Sagicor Real Estate Fund lost 50 cents trading 3,500 shares at $9.50. Salada Foods declined $2 to $30 in trading 1,000 stock units. Scotia Group climbed $2.50 to $53, with 271,656 shares trading, Seprod shed $1.30 trading 315,880 shares to close at $43, Stanley Motta lost 30 cents and ended at $5 trading 30,000 shares and Supreme Ventures lost 75 cents to finish at $31, with 44,425 units changing hands.
The Junior Market index suffered a big drop of 99.56 points to close at 3,039.10 on Monday with the prices of Cargo Handlers, Caribbean Producers, Express Catering and Lasco Manufacturing ending with sizeable declines. 
The average volume and value for the month to date amounts to 72,337 units for an average of $281,702 and previously, 72,405 units for an average of $278,724. In contrast, April closed with an average of 87,963 units valued $317,267 for each security traded.
Jamaican Teas closed with a loss of 14 cents at $4.55, with 1,895 shares changing hands, Jetcon Corporation ended with a loss of 2 cents at $1.93, exchanging 34,000 shares. KLE Group finished with a loss of 40 cents at a 52 weeks’ low of $2, trading 3,500 units, Knutsford Express settled at $11.90, trading 7,214 shares, Lasco Distributors ended trading 17,678 shares, at $3.80, Lasco Financial traded 12,311 shares and gained 1 cent to close at $4.70. Lasco Manufacturing finished trading 32,050 stock units with a loss of 43 cents to end at $3, Main Event closed at $5.10, with 74,133 units changing hands, Paramount Trading concluded trading of 2,400 shares at $2.10. SSL Venture Capital closed at $1.70, with 700 shares traded, Stationery and Office settled 3 cents higher at $9.04, with 362,457 stock units trading and tTech rose 1 cent to $6.09, with an exchange of 300 shares.