Rising stocks equaled declining ones and helped move the market index of Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market up at the close on Thursday after trading 32 percent fewer shares with a 17 percent fall in value compared to Wednesday.
Trading ended with shares of 32 companies changing hands compared to 38 on Wednesday with an equal number of 15 stocks rising and declining, with two remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rose 28.32 points to settle at 2,487.75 after trading over the 2,500 points mark in the morning session. The average PE Ratio ended at 12.5 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Trading closed with 4,782,100 shares for $19,328,148 versus 7,027,159 units at $23,247,610 on Wednesday. Fontana led trading with 31.4 percent of the volume in exchanging 1.50 million shares, followed by Jamaican Teas with 21.8 percent for 1.04 million units and Mailpac Group with 18.3 percent after trading 875,012 shares.
Trading averaged 149,441 units at $604,005 in contrast to 184,925 at $611,779 on Wednesday. For the month to date, the average trade is 192,183 units at $570,657, compared to 194,462 units at $568,878 on Wednesday. October averaged 230,868 units at $535,509.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Access Financial rose $1.35 to $21.90, trading 1,310 shares, AMG Packaging picked up 1 cent in closing at $1.60 trading 1,633 units, Blue Power lost 25 cents to end at $3.25 after exchanging 9,600 stock units. Cargo Handlers finished at $6.36, with gains of 6 cents as investors swapped 28,838 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers closed 15 cents higher at $1.90, in exchanging 2,906 units, Caribbean Cream gained 4 cents to settle at $3.85 trading 10,100 stock units. Caribbean Flavours lost 3 cents in ending at $1.67 with 113,000 shares passing through the market, Caribbean Producers fell 9 cents to $2.40 in clearing the market with 5,000 shares, Derrimon Trading gained 12 cents to end at $2.50 after the transferring of 3,700 units. Dolphin Cove rose 33 cents to $6.01, in clearing the market with 72,795 shares, Elite Diagnostic shed 10 cents to settle at $3, with 40,612 units passing through the market, Everything Fresh gained 13 cents to end at 76 cents, with an exchange of 26,898 stock units. Express Catering picked up 5 cents to end at $3.36, in trading 54,089 shares, Fontana lost 8 cents to close at $5.30 exchanging 1,502,184 shares, Fosrich gained 1 cent to end at $4.01, with 5,000 units crossing the exchange. General Accident slipped 5 cents to $6.15 with 38,796 stock units changing hands, GWest Corporation fell 3 cents to 73 cents trading 2,364 units, Honey Bun fell 5 cents to $4.80, with the transferring of 23,100 stock units. iCreate gained 2 cents to close at 61 cents, after exchanging 54,756 shares, Indies Pharma closed 1 cent higher at $2.51, in an exchange of 110,000 stocks, Jamaican Teas shed 70 cents to settle at $6, with investors switching ownership of 1,044,488 shares ahead of Friday’s three for one stock split. 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.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.