Investors keep on trading with more aggression since the start of the year, pushing the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange higher, with gains of just under one percent ahead of the 2020 close, after the value of stocks trading climbed 22 percent on Monday over Friday.
Trading ended with 36 securities changing hands compared to 33 on Friday and closed with 11 stocks rising, 21 declining and four remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index increased 19.88 points to settle at 2,665.33, and the average PE Ratio ended at 13.9 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 6,606,503 shares for $19,339,751 compared to 6,980,827 units at $15,826,363 on Friday.
Derrimon Trading accounted for 26.3 percent of total volume, with 1.73 million shares as the leading volume stock, followed by Jamaican Teas with 22.3 percent for 1.48 million units and Lasco Manufacturing with 18.7 percent for 1.23 million shares.
Trading averaged 183,514 units at $537,215 in contrast to 211,540 at $479,587 on Friday. Trading month to date averaged 146,869 units at $361,108, compared to 139,108 units at $323,815 on Friday. December closed with an average of 263,428 units at $638,694.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Blue Power gained 47 cents in closing at $3.28, with 2,600 shares changing hands, Cargo Handlers shed 10 cents to close at $7.90, with the swapping of 1,090 stocks, Caribbean Cream rose 20 cents to $4.60 after 106,353 units crossed the exchange. Consolidated Bakeries fell 13 cents to $1.20, in an exchange of 16,000 shares. Dolphin Cove closed at $10.59, with a loss of 41 cents and 2,642 shares crossing the exchange, Everything Fresh lost 6 cents in ending at 69 cents after trading 20,000 shares. Express Catering rose 18 cents to $3.65, in switching ownership of 500 stocks, Fontana fell 5 cents to $5.70, with 571,131 stock units clearing the market, Fosrich ended 13 cents lower at $3.85, in switching ownership of 29,497 shares. GWest Corporation lost 5 cents in closing at 70 cents, after exchanging 21,204 stocks, Indies Pharma gained 9 cents to settle at $2.70, after switching ownership of 78,051 stock units, Iron Rock Insurance lost 20 cents to close at $4, finishing with a transfer of 50 shares. Jamaican Teas rose 24 cents to $2.29, in an exchange of 1,476,016 stock units, KLE Group shed 16 cents to close at $1.16, with 5,000 units crossing the market. 
Lasco Distributors closed at $3.11, with a loss of 9 cents in exchanging 11,100 stock units, Limners and Bards fell 7 cents to $2.58, with an exchange of 30,351 stock units, Mailpac Group gained 7 cents in ending at $2.95, after crossing the market with 662,681 shares. Paramount Trading shed 10 cents in closing at 52 weeks’ low of $1.25 after trading 24,195 stock units, SSL Venture gained 9 cents to end at 59 cents after exchanging 1,000 units and Tropical Battery shed 5 cents ending at $1.13 trading 202,058 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
Trading ended with 33 securities changing hands compared to 36 on Thursday and ended with the prices of eight stocks rising, 17 falling and eight closed unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows no stock ended with bids higher than the last selling prices and four ended with lower offers.
Honey Bun slipped 5 cents to $5.60 with 10,279 shares traded, Indies Pharma dipped 9 cents to $2.61 with an exchange of 25,446 stocks, Lasco Manufacturing rose 5 cents to $3.90 with investors swapping 1,649 shares. Mailpac Group traded 2,130,888 units and declined 7 cents to close at $2.88 and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 27 cents to $4.52 with 193,963 stocks changing hands.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ended with a bid higher than its last selling price and three with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors increased 5 cents to $3.20 with 66,153 stock units changing hands, Limners and Bards dropped 26 cents to $2.69 trading 448,162 shares, Mailpac Group had an exchange of 482,322 stocks and gained 13 cents to end at $2.95, Medical Disposables slipped 8 cents to $4.27 with a transfer of 8,593 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies shed 25 cents to settle at $4.25 with 13,176 stocks changing hands and Tropical Battery rose 7 cents to $1.20 with 91,218 shares crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 33 securities changing hands compared to 35 on Tuesday and closed with the prices of 13 stocks rising, 15 declining and five remaining unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows four stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Limners and Bards gained 22 cents to close at $2.95, with a transfer of 636,310 shares, Lumber Depot lost 3 cents to close at $1.48, after exchanging 406,554 hares, Main Event declined by 20 cents to $3, in transferring 55,960 stock units and Medical Disposables gained 35 cents to end at $4.35 after exchanging 641 units.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Manufacturing lost 1 cent to end at $3.89 with a transfer of 1,392 stock units, Limners and Bards dropped 21 cents to $2.73 with 97,888 shares traded, Lumber Depot exchanged 415,224 units and gained 1 cent to close at $1.51. Mailpac Group rose 1 cent to $2.81 with 208,418 stocks passing through the market, Medical Disposables fell 29 cents to $4 with 2,601 stock units changing hands, Paramount Trading lost 10 cents to finish at $1.35 with a transfer of 3,044 shares. SSL Venture declined by 7 cents to 50 cents trading 102,775 stocks and Tropical Battery slipped 4 cents to $1.15 with 158,459 units crossing the exchange.
Trading ended with 33 securities changing hands compared to 38 on Thursday and ended with prices of 13 stocks rising, 11 declining and nine unchanged.
At the close, Blue Power rose 22 cents to end at $3 in trading 117 shares, Cargo Handlers fell $1.09 to close at $6.51 after exchanging 5,472 units, Caribbean Cream carved out a loss of 5 cents to $4.15 after crossing the exchange, with 8,221 stocks. Caribbean Flavours advanced 1 cent to end at $1.70 in exchanging 52,161 stock units, Caribbean Producers advanced 2 cents to settle at $2.82 after trading 5,501 shares, Dolphin Cove shed $1.20 to close at $8.80 with investors swapping 4,394 stocks. Everything Fresh declined 6 cents to 69 cents with 58,688 shares changing hands, Express Catering rose 5 cents in closing at $3.55 exchanging 24,359 stock units, Gwest Corporation advanced 2 cents to 77 cents with an exchange of 127,963 stocks. Honey Bun climbed 5 cents to $5.70 in switching ownership of 14,888 shares, iCreate gained 4 cents to end at 62 cents trading 50,617 stock units, Indies Pharma carved out a loss of 11 cents to end at $2.60 and clearing the market with 48,000 shares. Iron Rock Insurance rose 40 cents to $4.20, with 65 stock units crossing the market, KLE Group increased 17 cents to $1.32 in trading 200 shares, Knutsford Express climbed 24 cents to $6.80 in exchanging 6,947 stock units. Lasco Distributors fell 9 cents to end at $3.16, after trading 29,950 shares, Lasco Manufacturing rose 5 cents to end at $3.90 with 14,242 stocks changing hands, Limners and Bards dropped 11 cents to $2.94 after 52,737 shares crossed the market.
Lumber Depot shed 6 cents to end at $1.50 with an exchange of 68,094 stocks, Mailpac Group lost 7 cents in closing at $2.80 after exchanging 216,195 units, Medical Disposables carved out a gain of 4 cents in closing at $4.29, with 10,071 units crossing the exchange. Stationery and Office Supplies fell 4 cents ending at $4.50 and crossing the exchange with 5,709 stocks, Tropical Battery fell 1 cent to settle at $1.19 after exchanging 41,197 stock units and tTech gained 60 cents to close at $4.90 after exchanging 30,774 stock units.
It was a brutal year for the fledgling companies as only seven recording gains during the year as the vast majority of prices tumbled.
Lasco Manufacturing advanced 15 cents to $3.85 with 10,310 stock units traded, Limners and Bards lost 10 cents to close at $3.05 with a transfer of 197,501 shares, Lumber Depot slipped 2 cents to $1.56 with 224,630 stocks passing through the market. Mailpac Group exchanged 2,639,122 units and declined by 1 cent to end at $2.87, Main Event dropped 19 cents to $3.20 with investors switching ownership of 49,287 stock units, Medical Disposables rose 5 cents to $4.25 with 131,782 units changing hands. SSL Venture gained 2 cents to close at 57 cents with 11,566 stocks traded and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 24 cents to $4.54 with 2,000 shares crossing the exchange.
At the close, 46 percent more shares were traded than on Tuesday, with 5,982,419 units changing hands for $14,795,087 compared to 4,103,575 units at $9,392,768 on Tuesday. The PE Ratio averages 14 based on ICInsider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
Lasco Distributors rose by 8 cents to $3.16 trading 15,763 shares, Lasco Financial climbed 6 cents to $2.76 with 2,568 stocks changing hands, Lasco Manufacturing dropped 18 cents to $3.70 with investors switching ownership of 41,293 units. Limners and Bards rose 1 cent to $3.15 with 130,979 stock units traded, Lumber Depot gained 2 cents to end at $1.58 with a transfer of 272,500 shares, Mailpac Group exchanged 2,848,891 units and increased 9 cents to $2.88. Paramount Trading closed 1 cent higher at $1.45 with 15,085 stocks changing hands and Tropical Battery gained 8 cents to finish at $1.20 with 1,149,078 shares trading.
Trading ended with 39 securities changing hands compared to 38 on Monday and concluded with the prices of 12 stocks rising, 16 declining and 11 unchanged.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
Mailpac Group exchanged 1,412,146 stocks and gained 1 cent to settle at $2.79, Main Event climbed 40 cents to $3.39 with a transfer of 4,613 units, SSL Venture declined by 2 cents to 55 cents with 12,202 stock units changing hands. Stationery and Office Supplies shed 20 cents to finish at $4.30 with 1,760 stocks traded and Tropical Battery slipped 4 cents to $1.12 with 160,687 shares crossing the exchange.
At the market close, Access Financial jumped $3.34 to $23.69 trading 18 shares, AMG Packaging rose 5 cents to $1.65 with 3,255 units changing hands, CAC 2000 climbed $2 to $10 with an exchange of 4,010 stocks. Cargo Handlers advanced 51 cents to $7.31 with a transfer of just four shares, Caribbean Flavours slipped 1 cent to $1.67 with 1,017 stock units traded, Caribbean Producers fell 10 cents to $2.79 with 75,228 units passing through the market. Derrimon Trading lost 1 cent to finish at $2.38 with 299,069 stocks changing hands, Elite Diagnostic lost 4 cents to close at $2.95 in exchanging 150 shares, Express Catering dropped 18 cents to $3.59 with a transfer of 19,400 stock units. Fontana gained 8 cents to end at $5.50 with 186,789 units traded, Fosrich rose 10 cents to $4.10, with investors switching 174,500 stock units, General Accident fell 13 cents to $6.05 with 23,709 shares changing hands. GWest rose 3 cents to 73 cents, trading 500 stock units, Honey Bun slipped 5 cents to $5.80 with a transfer of 12,499 units, Jamaican Teas lost 1 cent, trading 356,419 stocks at $1.99. Jetcon Corporation dipped 1 cent to 70 cents with investors switching 108,764 shares, Lasco Distributors advanced 15 cents to $3.22 with 707 units changing hands, Lasco Financial climbed 30 cents to $2.76 with 18,721 stocks passing through the market. 
Lasco Manufacturing closed 1 cent higher at $3.89, trading 36,287 stock units, Lumber Depot declined by 3 cents to settle at $1.56 with a transfer of 1,292 shares, Mailpac Group traded 777,744 shares and lost 3 cents to end at $2.78. Medical Disposables fell 4 cents to $4.20 with investors switching ownership of 80 units, Stationery and Office Supplies slipped 4 cents to $4.50 with 1,908 stock units pass ing through the market, Tropical Battery gained 3 cents to finish at $1.16 with a transfer of 203,686 stocks and tTech advanced 10 cents to $4.30 with 80 shares crossing the exchange.