Trading activity resulted in increased volume and value of stocks changing hands on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday, with slightly fewer securities than Wednesday and led the market into a slight gain after more stocks declined than gained.
Trading ended with 29 stocks changing hands compared to 31 on Wednesday, with the prices of nine rising, 11 declining and nine remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index inched 1.31 points higher to 2,505.66. The average PE Ratio ending at 13 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading closed with an exchange of 137 percent more shares than Wednesday as 7,231,212 units traded for $17,420,235 versus 3,050,027 units at $6,670,693 on Wednesday. Mailpac Group led trading with 58.1 percent of total volume with a transfer of 4.2 million shares, followed by Jamaican Teas with 10.6 percent of the day’s trade with an exchange of 769,091 shares and Caribbean Producers with seven percent market share for 503,830 units.
Trading averaged 249,352 units at $600,698 in contrast to 98,388 at $215,184 on Wednesday. For the month to date, the average trade is 176,657 units at $412,538, compared to 144,715 shares at $329,861 on Wednesday. 
November trading averaged 193,331 units at $566,885.
At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Blue Power climbed 14 cents to $2.74 with investors switching ownership of 5,978 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers slipped 2 cents to $1.89 with an exchange of 527 units, Caribbean Cream fell 8 cents to $4, in trading 110,966 stocks. Caribbean Flavours dropped 12 cents to $1.60 with an exchange of 2,311 shares, Consolidated Bakeries rose 12 cents to $1.22 with a transfer of 300 stock units, Derrimon Trading fell 5 cents to $2.45 with 122,080 units changing hands. Everything Fresh gained 10 cents to finish at 76 cents with 77,134 shares passing through the market, Fontana climbed 18 cents and exchanged 353,882 units at $5.38, General Accident dropped 19 cents to $5.96 with the switching 1,238 stocks. Honey Bun added 10 cents to end at $5 with a transfer of 102,803 shares, ISP Finance dropped $5.50 to close at $17 with 17,400 stocks passing through the exchange, Jamaican Teas traded 769,091 units and gained 15 cents to finish at $1.98. Jetcon Corporation rose 2 cents to 82 cents with 40,600 shares changing hands, Lasco Distributors gained 2 cents and exchanged 12,490 stock units to settle at $3.18, Lasco Financial dropped 12 cents to $2.52 with investors switching ownership of 5,854 stocks.
Limners and Bards declined by 2 cents to close at $2.68 with 502,600 units passing through the market, Lumber Depot slipped 3 cents to $1.20 with an exchange of 300,000 shares, Mailpac Group traded 4,204,569 stocks and lost 4 cents to settle at $2.15 and Medical Disposables fell 4 cents to $4.35 with 527 stock units crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment, Derrimon Trading preference share, gained 2 cents to close at $2.10 with 2,316 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with 31 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 15 stocks rising, seven declining and nine remaining unchanged.
At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Limners and Bards settled at $2.70, with gains of 20 cents with 62,241 shares changing hands, Lumber Depot gained 3 cents to close at $1.23, after exchanging 365,322 shares, Mailpac Group lost 1 cent to end at $2.19 trading 759,011 shares. Main Event lost 3 cents to close at $3, in exchanging 7,271 units, Medical Disposables jumped 46 cents to $4.39, with 500 units passing through the market, Tropical Battery gained 3 cents to close at $1.20, clearing the market with 6,082 units and tTech ended 22 cents higher at $4.30, after crossing the exchange with 8,950 units.
At the close of the market, Access Financial dropped $2.58 to $19.92 with the trading of a mere 100 shares, AMG Packaging gained 6 cents to end at $1.65 with an exchange of 1,141 stocks, Blue Power rose 5 cents to $2.60 in an exchange of 7,040 stock units. CAC 2000 shed $2 to $8 with a transfer of 1,564 shares, Cargo Handlers lost 11 cents to $7.20 with 200 units traded, Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 19 cents to $1.91 with an exchange of 500 stocks. Caribbean Cream fell 12 cents to $4 with 8,513 shares changing hands, Caribbean Flavours lost 5 cents to close at $1.70 with a transfer of 14,992 stocks, Caribbean Producers climbed 18 cents to $2.60 with 500 units traded. Consolidated Bakeries declined by 12 cents to settle at $1.10 with 5,000 shares passing through the market, Derrimon Trading gained 15 cents and exchanged 66,059 stocks to end at $2.50, Elite Diagnostic dropped 27 cents to $3.03 with 88,087 units changing hands. Express Catering rose 5 cents to $4.05 with a transfer of 250 shares, Fontana traded 530,841 stock units and lost 3 cents to end at $4.97, Fosrich slipped 10 cents to $3.90 with 4,068 stocks passing through the market. General Accident fell 24 cents to $5.96 with 123,138 shares changing hands, GWest Corporation gained 4 cents to finish at 69 cents in switching ownership of 11,159 units, iCreate closed 1 cent higher at 66 cents with 19,023 stock units traded. 
Indies Pharma lost 3 cents to end at $2.55 with a transfer of 5,428 shares, Jamaican Teas traded 3,400,162 units in shedding 22 cents to settle at $1.79, KLE Group dropped 30 cents to $1.15 with 5,000 stocks passing through the market. Knutsford Express jumped 29 cents to $6 with 1,053 shares traded, Lasco Distributors rose 17 cents to $3.46 with 21,784 stocks changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing closed 2 cents higher at $3.68 in a transfer of 95,410 units. Limners and Bards fell 13 cents to $2.50 with 39,832 stock units traded, Lumber Depot declined 15 cents to $1.20 with 168,882 shares passing through the market, Mailpac Group traded 1,321,705 stocks and slipped 1 cent to $2.20. SSL Venture rose 3 cents to 56 cents with a transfer of 14,628 units, Tropical Battery lost 6 cents to finish at $1.17 with 225,701 shares traded and tTech shed 52 cents to close at $4.08 with 44,599 stock units crossing the exchange.
The market closed with a sharply increased volume of 221 percent and valued 247 percent over Friday’s level.
October averaged 230,868 units at $535,509.
Jamaican Teas lost 4 cents to end at $2.01, after clearing the market with 795,817 shares, Jetcon Corporation ended at 82 cents, with gains of 7 cents while trading 43,464 shares, Knutsford Express slid 29 cents to $5.71, with the swapping of 566 units. Lasco Financial lost 5 cents to end at $2.55 after exchanging 25,684 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing lost 14 cents to $3.66, after trading 57,387 stock units, Limners and Bards carved out a gain of 13 cents to end at $2.63, in an exchange of 210,501 shares. Lumber Depot rose 14 cents to $1.35, with 259,988 shares changing hands, Mailpac Group climbed 7 cents to $2.21, with 1,717,151 stock units changing hands, Medical Disposables shed 42 cents to close at $3.93, with the trading of 77,098 shares. Paramount Trading rose 18 cents to close at $1.50, with an exchange of 665 units, SSL Venture lost 4 cents to end at 53 cents, switching of ownership of 1,100 units, Stationery and Office Supplies ended at $4.43, after losing 12 cents transferring 4,152 units and Tropical Battery gained 13 cents to close at $1.23, in trading 1,579,900 shares.
Access Financial, Caribbean Producers, Express Catering, Elite Diagnostic, 
The local stock market’s targeted average PE ratio is 20based on profits of companies reporting full year’s results, from now to the second quarter in 2021. The Junior and Main markets are currently trading well below the market average, indicating the potential gains ahead. The JSE Main Market ended the week, with an overall PE of 15.5, The Junior Market 13.3, based on ICInsider.com’s projected 2020-21 earnings. The PE ratio for the Junior Market Top 10 stocks average a mere 7.2 at just 54 percent to the average of the Junior Market. The Main Market TOP 10 stocks trade at a PE of 9 or 58 percent of the PE of that market.
based on 2020-21 earnings, indicating greater likely gains for Junior Market stocks than the Main Market.
ISP Finance surged $6.39 to $22.50 with 2,270 stocks changing hands, after a three for one stock split, Jamaican Teas exchanged 502,383 shares and added 9 cents to settle at a post-split price of $2.05, Jetcon Corporation rose 5 cents to 75 cents with the transfer of 5,539 units. Lasco Financial rose 20 cents to close at $2.60 with 40,000 shares crossing the exchange, Lasco Manufacturing declined 10 cents to $3.80 with the trading of 5,375 stocks, Limners and Bards gained 5 cents to settle at $2.50 and switching ownership of 31,000 units. Lumber Depot traded 508,099 shares and lost 7 cents to end at $1.21, Medical Disposables jumped 42 cents to close at $4.35 with 4,000 stocks crossing the market, Stationery and Office Supplies gained 5 cents to finish at $4.55 with 8,958 units changing hands. Tropical Battery slipped 6 cents to $1.10 with 256,976 stocks traded and tTech shed 30 cents to $4.60 with 74,427 shares crossing the exchange.
Jetcon Corporation lost 13 cents to end at 70 cents, in transferring 123,927 shares, Knutsford Express shed 70 cents in closing at $6, after crossing the market with 113,924 stock units, Lasco Distributors gained 14 cents to close at $3.29, with investors swapping 15,019 shares. Lasco Financial dropped 24 cents to $2.40, trading 9,350 units, Lasco Manufacturing rose 40 cents to $3.90, in exchanging 18,125 stock units, Lumber Depot lost 1 cent in closing at $1.28, with the switching of 388,704 shares. Mailpac Group fell 4 cents to $2.14, after exchanging 875,012 shares, Main Event shed 37 cents to close at $3.03, with 10,000 units changing hands and Tropical Battery gained 4 cents to end at $1.16, in clearing the market with 20,772 stock units.
Trading ended with more stocks declining than rising after an exchange of 33 percent more shares than on Tuesday. The market closed with 38 securities changing hands compared to 33 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 15 stocks rising, 17 declining and six remaining unchanged. The average PE Ratio ends at 12.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
At the close of the market, Access Financial advanced 45 cents to $20.55 with an exchange of 6,753 shares, AMG Packaging slipped 1 cent to $1.59 with 71,448 stocks changing hands, Blue Power declined by 9 cents to $3.50 with 50 units traded. CAC 2000 jumped 80 cents to close at $10 with 1,000 stocks passing through the market, Cargo Handlers dropped 65 cents to $6.30 transferring 5,444 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers declined 15 cents to $1.75 with switching ownership of 43,718 units. Caribbean Cream declined by 19 cents in exchanging 93,302 stocks to finish at $3.81, Caribbean Producers gained 17 cents to close at $2.49 with 227,116 shares changing hands, Derrimon Trading lost 2 cents to settle at $2.38 with 20,761 units passing through the market. Dolphin Cove advanced 18 cents trading 2,368 stocks to end at $5.68, Elite Diagnostic dropped 20 cents to $3.10 in transferring 29,120 shares, Everything Fresh declined by 10 cents to 63 cents, in switching ownership of 165,878 units. Express Catering shed 67 cents to settle at $3.31 with an exchange of 89,040 stocks, Fontana climbed 30 cents to end at $5.38 with 149,049 units changing hands, General Accident gained 10 cents to finish at $6.20 with 62,300 shares traded. GWest Corporation rose 11 cents to close at 76 cents with 34,793 stocks passing through the market, iCreate lost 3 cents to settle at 59 cents with a transfer of 59,812 units, Indies Pharma increased 7 cents to $2.50, trading 89,073 shares. Iron Rock Insurance dropped 20 cents to finish at $2.80 with 31,000 stocks changing hands, Jamaican Teas exchanged 976,355 shares and climbed 20 cents to close at $6.70, Jetcon Corporation slipped 1 cent to 83 cents with 170,553 units passing through the market. Knutsford Express rose 5 cents to $6.70 with 1,000 shares traded, Lasco Financial gained 4 cents to end at $2.64 with a transfer of 10,000 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing fell 35 cents to $3.50 with investors switching ownership of 511,000 units.
Lumber Depot increased 8 cents to $1.29 with an exchange of 22,500 stocks, Mailpac Group rose 2 cents to $2.18 with 325,265 units changing hands, Medical Disposables dropped 27 cents to $3.93 with 33,581 shares traded. Paramount Trading increased by 2 cents to $1.32 with 30,000 stocks passing through the market, SSL Venture fell 1 cent to 57 cents with a transfer of 6,800 units, Stationery and Office Supplies slipped 5 cents to $4.50 with investors switching ownership of 25,843 shares. Tropical Battery exchanged 675,760 units and declined by 7 cents to $1.12 and tTech gained 3 cents to finish at $4.90 with 2,665 stocks crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 33 securities changing hands compared to 37 on Monday and closed with the prices of 11 stocks rising, 14 declining and eight remaining unchanged. Dolphin Cove closed at a 52 weeks’ low of $5.50.
Trading averaged of 159,785 units at $474,494 in contrast to 162,160 at $594,077 on Monday. Trading month to date, averaged 195,107 units at $565,977 compared to 197,311 units at $571,684 on Monday. Trading in October averaged 230,868 units at $535,509.
ISP Finance gained 11 cents to end at $16.11, after crossing the market with 22,879 stock units, Jamaican Teas shed 35 cents to close at $6.50, in the trading of 482,354 shares, 
The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Fontana dropped 25 cents in an exchange of 155,964 shares to finish at $5, Fosrich jumped 50 cents to end at $4.49 with investors switching 200,348 stocks, General Accident fell 25 cents to $6.20, with 39,893 shares changing hands. GWest Corporation gained 7 cents, trading 291,760 units to close at 77 cents, iCreate gained 2 cents to finish at 62 cents with 30,000 stocks passing through the market, ISP Finance shed $5 to end at $16 with a transfer of 2,050 shares. Jamaican Teas traded 1,920,968 units and climbed 15 cents to $6.85, Jetcon Corporation increased by 9 cents to close at 84 cents with an exchange of 1,200 stocks, Knutsford Express dropped 29 cents to $5.71 with 5,815 shares changing hands. Lasco Distributors slipped 1 cent to $3.14 with 67,815 units traded, Lasco Financial lost 6 cents to end at $2.60 with 8,200 stock units passing through the market, Lasco Manufacturing declined 3 cents to $3.76 with investors switching ownership of 15,273 shares. Limners and Bards fell 14 cents to $2.45 with an exchange of 265,595 units, Lumber Depot gained 9 cents to finish at $1.29 with 500,326 stock units changing hands, Mailpac Group traded 531,308 shares and rose 2 cents to end at $2.17. Main Event advanced 41 cents to $3.40 with 3,800 units changing owners, Medical Disposables declined 10 cents to $4.20 with a transfer of 10,664 stock units, SSL Venture gained 5 cents to finish at 58 cents with an exchange of 900 shares. Stationery and Office Supplies increased by 5 cents to $4.55 with 4,244 stock units changing hands, Tropical Battery lost 4 cents to settle at $1.16 with investors switching ownership of 218,622 stocks and tTech dropped 5 cents to close at $4.95 with 550 shares changing hands.