Market activity dipped, with 20 percent fewer shares trading than on Tuesday, following the Ash Wednesday break, but the market ended with more stocks rising than declining on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange on Thursday, but the market Index slipped moderately at the close.
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.
At the close, the Junior Market Index lost 10.53 points to finish at 2,877.69.
The PE Ratio averages 15.2 based on ICInsider.com’s 2020-21 earnings forecast. The market closed with 5,225,893 shares traded for $16,022,590 down from 6,496,040 units at $19,574,623 on Tuesday.
Derrimon Trading led trading with 17.1 percent of total volume after exchanging 895,494 shares, followed by Jamaican Teas with 14.5 percent of the day’s trade or 757,249 units and Lumber Depot with 14 percent market share with a transfer of 730,545 units.
Trading averaged 141,240 units at $433,043 down from 166,565 at $501,913 on Tuesday. Trading month to date averages 408,900 shares at $980,150, lower than 431,459 units at $1,026,262 on Tuesday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Carib Assurance Brokers rose 7 cents to $1.80 with 8,407 shares changing hands, Caribbean Producers fell 8 cents to $2.70 trading 70,633 shares, Dolphin Cove advanced 50 cents to $8 with a transfer of 3,400 stock units, Express Catering increased by 15 cents to $3.65 with 23,747 units changing hands. Fontana rose 5 cents to $6.18 with an exchange of 149,122 stocks, Fosrich climbed 19 cents to $4.30 with 51,671 shares passing through the market, General Accident fell 16 cents to $5.15 with 139,900 stocks traded. Honey Bun advanced 14 cents to $5.15 with a transfer of 114,923 units, Indies Pharma rose 9 cents to close at a 52 weeks’ high of $3.14 with 492,342 shares changing hands, Jamaican Teas declined by 18 cents to $3.50 with an exchange of 757,249 stock units. Jetcon gained 5 cents to end at 74 cents with 37,909 units passing through the market, KLE Group dropped 24 cents to $1.16 with 10,000 shares traded, Lasco Distributors rose 9 cents to $3.60 with a transfer of 150,895 stocks. 
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.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
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 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.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing rose 5 cents to $4.25 with 108,611 stocks changing hands, Lumber Depot gained 18 cents to end at 52 weeks’ high of $2.18 with an ownership switch of 783,265 units, Mailpac Group advanced 10 cents to $4 with an exchange of 271,927 shares. Main Event fell 19 cents to $3.30 with 68,569 stocks crossing the exchange, Medical Disposables shed 39 cents to close at $4 with 18,414 units traded and Stationery and Office Supplies fell 24 cents to $4.29 after trading 2,000 shares.
Trading ended with 39 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Tuesday and closed with falling stocks far outnumbering rising ones as prices of seven stocks rising, 22 declined and 10 remained unchanged. The average PE Ratio ended at 14.3 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Knutsford Express lost 22 cents to end at $6.20 with 1,203 stocks passing through the market, Lasco Distributors declined by 9 cents to $3.21 with 111,367 stock units exchanged, Mailpac Group traded 1,081,329 shares and dropped 25 cents to $3.90, Paramount Trading advanced 18 cents to $1.45 with 63 stocks changing hands and tTech shed 61 cents to close at $4.09 with 34,055 units crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 35 securities changing hands, down from 37 on Monday and closed with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 12 declining and 10 remaining unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
Limners and Bards finished 5 cents lower at $2.50, with 232,334 units changing hands, Mailpac Group gained 19 cents to close at an all-time closing high of $4.15, in the transfer of 695,450 stocks and Medical Disposables picked up 6 cents to end at $4.40, with 5,595 shares changing hands.
Trading averaged 189,064 units at $559,890 in contrast to 686,300 at $1,842,459 on Thursday. Month to date trading averaged 307,465 units at $811,066, compared to 338,928 units at $877,812 on Thursday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Knutsford Express closed at $6.75, with gains of 45 cents after trading 3,557 stock units, Lasco Distributors picked up 15 cents to end at $3.40 in exchanging 55,501 shares, Lasco Manufacturing gained 12 cents to finish at $4.32, with 157,640 stocks clearing the market and Medical Disposables rose 30 cents ending at $4.50, with 36,214 shares crossing the market.
Trading averaged 686,300 units at $1,842,459 in contrast to 142,018 at $366,205 on Wednesday. Month to date trading averaged 338,928 units at $877,812, compared to an average of 230,573 units at $576,913 on Wednesday. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Knutsford Express dipped 45 cents to $6.30 trading 1,765 units, Lasco Distributors fell 10 cents to $3.25, in an exchange of 5,001 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing rose 32 cents to $4.20, after 279,289 stock units crossed the market. Limners and Bards slipped 15 cents to end at $2.55, with 10,790,026 stocks changing hands, Main Event settled at $3.49, with gains of 19 cents trading 59,352 shares, Medical Disposables finished 21 cents higher at $4.20 in exchanging 100 stocks and tTech gained 29 cents to close at $4.85, with investors swapping 10,005 stock units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
Lasco Financial fell 10 cents to $2.60 in trading 375,036 shares, Lasco Manufacturing gained 17 cents to $3.88 with 93,150 units passing through the market. Main Event climbed 18 cents to $3.30 with a transfer of 171,000 units, Medical Disposables dropped 21 cents to $3.99 with 25,194 stocks passing through the market and tTech advanced 16 cents to $4.56 with 5,377 units changing hands.
Trading averaged 456,371 units at $1,065,980 in contrast to 113,255 at $343,282 on Monday. The month to date, averaged 279,911 units at $694,307. January closed with an average of 232,651 units at $569,885.
Lasco Manufacturing gained 4 cents to end at $3.71 with 174,629 shares traded, Limners and Bards advanced 15 cents to $2.72 with a transfer of 46,156 stocks. Stationery and Office Supplies dropped 26 cents to $4.28 with 7,402 shares changing hands and tTech shed 45 cents to close at $4.40 with 14,623 stock units crossing the exchange.
