The volume of stocks trading on Friday surged 785 percent and the value climbed 45 percent higher than on Thursday, but the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market, just squeezed out a modest rise at the close on Friday, as the market closed out February five percent higher than January and 10.5 percent higher than December last year.
Trading ended with 37 securities changing hands compared to 41 on Thursday, with 17 stocks rising, 11 declining and nine ending unchanged. The market closed with Everything Fresh, Fosrich and iCreate, ending at 52 weeks’ highs.
At the close, the Market Index inched 0.87 points higher to 2,920.35, the highest point since February 27 last year. The average PE Ratio ends at 15.7 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors exchanged 26,611,809 shares for $45,997,837, up sharply from 3,006,108 units at $8,350,224 on Thursday. GWest Corporation led trading with 51 percent of total volume, after an exchange of 13.57 million shares followed by Indies Pharma with 22.3 percent for 5.92 million units, Derrimon Trading followed with 5.7 percent and 1.5 million units and Jamaican Teas 5.2 percent, with 1.40 million units changing hands.
Trading averaged 719,238 units at $1,243,185, a surge from 73,320 at $203,664 on Thursday. Month to date trading averaged 365,365 units at $881,118, compared to 345,881 units at $861,183 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial advanced $2.30 to $23.30, with an exchange of 31,291 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 5 cents to end at $1.80 after transferring 80,472 stock units. Caribbean Cream gained 10 cents to $4.80 trading 2,080 units, Caribbean Flavours finished 11 cents higher at $2.11, with 68,480 shares crossing the market, Caribbean Producers shed 15 cents to $3.39 in an exchange of 139,589 stocks. Everything Fresh gained 12 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $1.12 in trading 253,217 stock units. Fontana picked up 10 cents in ending at $6, with 98,494 shares changing hands, Fosrich rose 99 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $5.39 in an exchange of 63,738 shares, General Accident rose 44 cents to $5.94 with the swapping of 62,170 units. GWest Corporation gained 8 cents in closing at 80 cents after an exchange of 13,568,963 stock units, Honey Bun increased 9 cents to $5.19, with 24,823 units crossing the market, iCreate gained 5 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of 92 cents, with 562,008 stocks clearing the market. Indies Pharma shed 14 cents to $3.01 with the swapping of 5,922,061 shares, Jamaican Teas lost 7 cents at $3.08 after trading 1,396,887 units, Jetcon Corporation slipped 10 cents to 70 cents in exchanging 52,651 shares. Knutsford Express rose 30 cents to $6.80, with the swapping of 721 units, Lasco Distributors gained 17 cents in closing at $3.87 after transferring 11,980 units, Lasco Financial ended 19 cents higher at $2.65, with 43,965 stock units crossing the exchange. 
Lasco Manufacturing lost 9 cents in closing at $4.61, with 26,997 units changing hands, Limners and Bards rose 25 cents to $2.75, after trading 167,072 stock units, Mailpac Group lost 6 cents in closing at $3.56 with an exchange of 694,920 shares. Medical Disposables gained 10 cents to close at $4.30 after transferring 183,901 units, Paramount Trading lost 17 cents to end at $1.32 with the swapping of 5,800 units, SSL Venture rose 10 cents to 65 cents trading 916,152 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies shed 30 cents in closing at $4, with 57,150 stock units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with 41 securities against 39 on Wednesday, with 13 rising, 16 declining and 12 ending unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than the last selling price and five with lower offers.
Lumber Depot climbed 8 cents to $2.55 with 193,170 stock units traded, Main Event shed 25 cents to close at $3.05 with a transfer of 2,111 stocks, Paramount Trading gained 17 cents to finish at $1.49 with 35,500 units passing through the market. Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 23 cents to $4.30 with 15,000 stocks changing hands and tTech shed 55 cents to end at $4.35 with 2,095 shares crossing the exchange.
The Junior Market Index rose 10.75 points to close at 2,918.23 to be up 10.4 percent for the year to date. Early in the morning session, the index hit a 2,949.48 points level that is higher than the close on February 21, last year.
Trading averaged 173,371 units at $458,568 in contrast to 328,973 at $1,043,523 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 363,591 units at $903,906, down from 376,123 units at $933,244 on Tuesday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Lasco Distributors climbed 22 cents to $3.87 with a transfer of 136,000 shares, Lasco Financial rose 10 cents to $2.60 with an exchange of 19,750 units, Lasco Manufacturing fell 12 cents to $4.26 with 282,351 units changing hands. Mailpac Group gained 13 cents to finish at $3.62 with 480,450 stock units passing through the market, Main Event fell 27 cents to $3.30, trading 9 shares, Stationery and Office Supplies increased by 18 cents to settle at $4.53 with a transfer of 300 stock units and tTech advanced 20 cents to close at $4.90 with 4,201 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading averaged 328,973 units at $1,043,523 well upon 150,842 at $445,771 on Monday. The month to date averaged 376,123 units at $933,244, close to the 379,631 units at $925,038 on Monday. Trading in January averaged 232,651 units at $569,885.
Jetcon Corporation gained 13 cents to 79 cents, with 145,898 shares changing hands, KLE Group picked up 17 cents at $1.33 after a transfer of 749 stock units, Lasco Distributors gained 5 cents to end at $3.65, in swapping 28,720 stocks. Lasco Financial lost 20 cents to close at $2.50, trading 135,748 units, Lasco Manufacturing shed 35 cents to end at $4.38, with an exchange of 33,412 shares, Mailpac Group lost 15 cents to close at $3.49, in trading 665,514 units. Main Event shed 42 cents to end at $3.03 after crossing the market with 14,500 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies ended 18 cents lower at $4.35 in the transfer of 25,000 stock units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Medical Disposables shed 25 cents in ending at $4.20, with 103,359 stock units crossing the market, Paramount Trading dipped 21 cents to $1.29 trading 8,970 stocks and tTech advanced 59 cents to $4.70, trading 3,369 shares.
Trading ended with 35 securities changing hands, down from 37 on Thursday, with prices of 14 stocks rising, 10 declining and 11 remaining unchanged. The Junior Market Index advanced 21.44 points to 2,899.13. The average PE Ratio ends at 15.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows one stock ending with the bid higher than the last selling price and three with lower offers.
Mailpac Group lost 4 cents to close at $3.75 while exchanging 502,880 shares, Paramount Trading gained 21 cents to close at $1.50 with 51,390 units crossing the exchange and Stationery and Office Supplies rose 31 cents to $4.53 after exchanging 259 units.
Trading ended with 37 securities changing hands compared to 39 on Tuesday and concluded with the prices of 16 stocks rising, ten declining and 11 remaining unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing climbed 28 cents to $4.60 with 23,605 stock units changing hands, Limners and Bards advanced 14 cents to $2.64 with an exchange of 61,986 shares, Mailpac Group rose 14 cents to $3.79 with 481,324 units passing through the market and Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 31 cents to $4.22 with the trading of 60,168 shares.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers. At the 1 o’clock close, AMG Packaging rose 14 cents to $1.80 trading 2,404 shares, Blue Power dropped 30 cents to $2.85 in an exchange of 1,234 stock units, Cargo Handlers climbed 19 cents to $6.71 with 7,904 stock units trading. Caribbean Assurance Brokers lost 7 cents to finish at $1.73 trading 8,412 stocks, Caribbean Flavours fell 15 cents to $1.95 after a transfer of 72,479 shares, Consolidated Bakeries gained 14 cents to close at $1.45 with 13,770 shares changing hands. Dolphin Cove climbed 45 cents to $7.50 with an exchange of 18 stocks, Elite Diagnostic advanced 25 cents to $3 with 6,160 stock units crossing the exchange, Express Catering dropped 18 cents to $3.50 with 3,136 shares traded. Fontana slipped 7 cents to $6.13 with a transfer of 214,490 shares, Fosrich fell 19 cents to $4.11 with 212,281 stock units changing hands, General Accident lost 12 cents to close at $5.31 with an exchange of 158,474 shares. Indies Pharma rose 8 cents to $3.05 trading 189,042 units, Jamaican Teas climbed 31 cents trading 1,364,296 stock units to close at a record high of $3.68, KLE Group advanced 22 cents to $1.40 with a transfer of 2,750 shares. 
Lasco Financial climbed 9 cents to $2.78 with 565,521 stock units changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing rose 6 cents to $4.32 with an exchange of 222 stock units, Lumber Depot rose 18 cents to $2.68 with 1,068,851 shares passing through the market. Mailpac Group gained 16 cents trading 987,293 shares to settle at $3.65, Main Event lost 9 cents to close at $3.01 with a transfer of 2,029 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 25 cents $4.53 with 810 stocks crossing the exchange.
Trading on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Monday pushed the total volume of shares exchanged up 585 percent with a value 215 percent more than on Friday. Market activity resulted in 74,563,869 units trading for $122,016,255 compared to 10,871,142 units at $38,718,293 on Friday as 38 securities changed hands, up from 36 on Friday with prices of 16 rising, 14 declining and eight closing unchanged. Three stocks traded at 52 weeks’ highs during the day but only two ended at closing highs.
At the one PM close, Blue Power gained 29 cents to close at $3.15 in an exchange of 49,552 shares, CAC 2000 shed 50 cents to $9.50 after exchanging 345 units, Cargo Handlers dropped $1.10 to settle at $6.90, in trading 80,836 stock units. Caribbean Cream lost 34 cents to end at $4.65, after 63,863 shares crossing the exchange, Caribbean Flavours gained 10 cents to end at $2.10, with 165,153 stock units changing hands, Dolphin Cove ended 95 cents lower at $7.05, in an exchange of 1,292 shares. Elite Diagnostic slipped 25 cents to $2.75 with 85,552 stock units changing hands, Express Catering gained 28 cents ending at $3.68, with 13,665 stocks crossing the exchange, Fontana finished 19 cents higher at $6.20 in an exchange of 196,663 stock units. Fosrich gained 10 cents to close at $4.30 with 91,665 stocks crossing the exchange, Honey Bun shed 50 cents to end at $5 in a transfer of 573,813 shares. Jamaican Teas gained 10 cents to a record closing high of $3.37 after hitting an intraday high of $3.54, with 1,348,424 units crossing the market. Lasco Financial gained 9 cents in closing at $2.69, after exchanging 44,500 shares. Lasco Manufacturing fell 72 cents to $4.26 after trading as high as $4.95 with 217,306 stock units changing hands; the stock closed with the bid at $4.89, Limners and Bards lost 7 cents to end at $2.48, with 224,829 stocks crossing the market. 
Lumber Depot rose 40 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.50, after the swapping of 2,434,406 units and trading as at a record high of $2.65 before the close. Mailpac Group shed 47 cents to end at $3.49, with an exchange of 5,737,107 shares, as investors reacted negatively to the release of full-year earnings of 18 cents per share, driving the stock to $3.10 during the trading session. Medical Disposables rose 46 cents to $4.46 trading 1,000 stocks, Paramount Trading lost 15 cents and ended at $1.30, in exchanging 60,499,360 shares and tTech lost 59 cents to settle at $4.11, with investors switching ownership of 10,000 units.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands, up from 34 on Thursday and closed with the prices of 19 stocks rising, 11 declining and six ending unchanged.
Trading averaged 301,976 units at $1,075,508 in contrast to 182,467 at $484,111 on Thursday. The month to date averaged 299,311 units at $853,420, compared to 299,016 units at $828,895 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Limners and Bards rose 5 cents to $2.55 in trading 16,660 stock units, Lumber Depot lost 8 cents to close at $2.10, with an exchange of 672,335 shares, Mailpac Group carved out a loss of 4 cents ending at $3.96, with 473,830 shares changing hands, Main Event fell 20 cents to $3.10, with 3,040 stocks crossing the market and tTech rose 61 cents to $4.70 with 200 stocks clearing the market.