The prices of rising stocks just edged out declining ones in trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange at the close on Wednesday. The market decline, trading 74 percent fewer shares than on Tuesday.
Trading ended with 34 securities changing hands compared to 38 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 12 declining and nine remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index dived 29.71 points to settle at 2,428.25 and the PE Ratio averaged 10.6 based on the ICInsider.com forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 2,113,018 shares for $4,468,027 compared to 8,285,311 units at $34,641,926 on Tuesday. Tropical Battery led trading with 469,837 shares for 22.4 percent of total volume, followed by Everything Fresh with 324,125 units for 15.4 percent of the day’s trade and Mailpac Group with 10 percent market share for 210,100 units.
Trading averaged62,148 units at $131,413 compared to 218,035 at $911,630 on Tuesday. For the month to date, the average trade resulted in an exchange of 235,995 units at $531,745, compared to 245,781 units at $554,280 on Tuesday. Trading in September resulted in an average of 119,171 units at $249,355 trading.
At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial fell $2.84 to end at $19, with an exchange of 1,100 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers picked up 5 cents to settle at $1.85, with a transfer of 29,989 stock units, Caribbean Cream rose 90 cents to close at $4.90 trading a mere 1 unit. Caribbean Flavours gained 1 cent after ending at $1.74 with 37,771 shares changing hands, Derrimon Trading lost 3 cents to close at $2.52 and crossed the exchange with 59,484 shares, Dolphin Cove closed 10 cents higher at $6.10, in trading 1,250 units. Everything Fresh gained 5 cents to close at 77 cents, with investors swapping 324,125 shares, Express Catering picked up 5 cents trading 32,213 shares at $3.50, Fontana shed 9 cents to end at $4.71, in an exchange 130,326 shares. Fosrich gained 34 cents to close at $3.50, with 177,739 shares changing hands, Honey Bun rose 12 cents to $4.85, in a transfer of 30,700 stock units, iCreate ended at 70 cents, with gains of 3 cents trading 2,704 units. Indies Pharma shed 19 cents to settle at $2.63 after an exchange of 25,329 stock units, Iron Rock Insurance carved out a gain of 2 cents to close at $2.52, after transferring 30,000 shares, ISP Finance declined $2.50 to $21, with investors swapping ownership of 212 units. Jamaican Teas lost 10 cents to settle at $4.87, in clearing the market with 27,227 stock units, Jetcon Corporation gained 13 cents in closing at 82 cents, trading 1,000 units, Lasco Financial lost 2 cents to close at $2.05 trading 143,268 shares. Limners and Bards shed 13 cents to finish at $2.47, with investors switching 58,980 shares, Lumber Depot fell 4 cents to $1.10, in exchanging 69,721 shares, Mailpac Group ended 2 cents higher at $1.98, in transferring 210,100 shares. Medical Disposables slipped 45 cents to $4.35, with an exchange of 11,210 units, Paramount Trading gained 20 cents in closing at $1.70, in trading 40,953 stock units, SSL Venture lost 4 cents to finish at 55 cents transferring 26,000 units and tTech shed 50 cents to end at $5, with an exchange of 9,600 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.