Trading remained elevated on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Thursday, with the volume and value of stocks traded falling moderately below Wednesday’s outturn as the market index, a measure of the value of the market, crossed the 4,000 points mark for the first time in the morning session before hanging to gains of 25.54 points to finish at a new closing high of 3,974.74 after hitting a record high of 4,041.54 shortly after trading opened.
As was the case on Wednesday, 43 securities traded, with 16 rising, 19 declining and eight, closing unchanged. At the close, Express Catering, Fontana and Future Energy Source traded at 52 weeks’ closing highs, while Everything Fresh traded at an intraday high of $1.84 before falling back at the close.
The PE Ratio, a measure used to compute appropriate stock values, averages 16.9. 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 25,209,060 shares traded for $93,838,592 compared to 26,221,431 units at $104,398,820 on Wednesday. Spur Tree Spices led trading with 14.45 million shares for 57.3 percent of total volume followed by Lumber Depot with 2.25 million units for 8.9 percent of the day’s trade and Future Energy Source with 1.74 million units for 6.9 percent market share.
Trading averaged 586,257 shares at $2,182,293 down from 609,801 shares at $2,427,880 on Wednesday and the month to date, averaging 564,984 units at $2,253,271, compared to 554,222 units at $2,289,177 on the previous day. January closed with an average of 319,395 units at $1,181,136.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows two stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging popped 10 cents to close at $3.75 after 84,583 shares crossed the exchange, Blue Power gained 15 cents to end at $3.25 as 23,421 stock units were exchanged, Cargo Handlers shed 48 cents to end at $6.91 with an exchange of 7,224 stocks. Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 10 cents to $3.03 after exchanging 220,670 units, Dolphin Cove dropped $1.50 in closing at $27 while 432,645 units switched owners, Elite Diagnostic climbed 20 cents in closing at $3.50 with the swapping of 56,329 shares. Everything Fresh fell 14 cents to end at $1.67, with 853,549 stocks clearing the market, Express Catering rose 81 cents to close at $7.05 in an exchange of 577,925 stock units, Fontana increased 35 cents ending at a closing record high of $11.85 in trading 504,534 shares. Future Energy Source rallied 23 cents to a record high of $3.86, with 1,737,228 stocks changing hands, General Accident rose 39 cents to $6.49 trading 67,987 units, Honey Bun climbed 24 cents to $9.80 after 128,499 stock units changed hands. Indies Pharma declined 18 cents to close at $2.87, with 219,393 shares crossing the market, Iron Rock Insurance lost 15 cents to end at $3.15 in switching ownership of 46,452 stock units, ISP Finance increased 49 cents in closing at $30, with 995 stocks crossing the market. Jamaican Teas popped 12 cents in closing at $4.50 after exchanging 684,209 units, Lasco Financial dropped 10 cents to $3.10 in an exchange of 27,100 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing shed 40 cents to close at $4.50 in switching ownership of 132,834 shares. Lumber Depot fell 11 cents after ending at $3.79 after 2,245,901 stock units changed hands, Main Event declined 48 cents to end at $4.02 with an exchange of 2,900 units, Medical Disposables lost 16 cents to close at $7.75 in trading 37,243 stock units. Paramount Trading shed 20 cents to $2.20 in an exchange of 192,268 shares, Spur Tree Spices gained 10 cents in closing at $3, with14,453,147 units crossing the market, SSL Venture rallied 35 cents to $1.46 while exchanging 56,574 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 20 cents to end at $5.70 after 8,714 shares passed through the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.