Trading closed on Friday, with the market index pulling back moderately after an exchange of 18 percent fewer shares valued 42 percent less than on Thursday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
Trading ended with 31 active securities, down from 36 on Thursday and closed with eight rising prices, 13 declining and 10 remaining unchanged.
The Market Index declined 8.41 points to 2,932.84 at the close, with a rise of 1.2 percent for the week and 11 percent for the year to date. The average PE Ratio ended at 16.8 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investors traded 4,502,910 shares for $11,355,650 down from 5,513,842 units at $19,693,968 on Thursday. AMG Packaging led trading with 22.7 percent of total volume in exchanging 1.02 million shares, followed by Mailpac Group with 16.9 percent for 762,742 units, Derrimon Trading was next with 14.6 percent for 658,536 units and Lumber Depot chipped in with 11.5 percent for 518,658 shares.
Trading averaged 145,255 units at $366,311, from 153,162 at $547,055 on Thursday. The month to date averaged 227,879 units at $644,664, compared to 235,664 units at $670,892 on Thursday. February closed with an average of 365,365 units at $881,118.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging gained 5 cents to close at $1.85 in an exchange of 1,021,451 shares, Blue Power picked up 6 cents to end at $4.05 after trading 2,187 units, Caribbean Producers lost 4 cents to close at $3.19 trading 500 shares. Derrimon Trading lost 4 cents to close at $2.54 in trading 658,536 shares, Everything Fresh shed 21 cents to end at 88 cents in transferring 182,258 stock units, Express Catering lost 10 cents to settle at $3.55 with 54,403 shares changing hands, Fosrich shed 13 cents to close at $5.12, with 11,178 stocks crossing the market. Honey Bun gained 6 cents to end at $5.12 in trading 27,055 stock units, Lasco Distributors gained 15 cents to close at $3.85 in an exchange of 110,217 units, Paramount Trading lost 15 cents in closing at $1.30 with 17,360 stock units clearing the market. SSL Venture lost 4 cents to close at 60 cents, with 54,312 stock units crossing the market and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 99 cents to $5.59, trading 7,851 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.