Stocks of the Jamaican Stock Exchange fledgling market, closed the first month of the year higher than it started, with the Junior Market closing two consecutive days above the 2024 close, following trading in 44 securities down from 46 on Thursday, ending with prices of 22 rising, 9 declining and 13 closing unchanged with a 35 percent jump in the volume of stocks traded, with a 79 percent greater value than on Thursday.
The market closed with trading of 19,286,403 shares for $40,628,456 up from 14,337,567 stock units for $22,756,450 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 438,327 shares at $923,374 well above the 311,686 stocks at $494,705 on Thursday with a month to date average of 350,850 stock units at $615,775 compared with 346,715 shares at $601,238 on the previous day and December with an average of 326,483 shares at $898,324.
Lasco Financial led trading with 7.03 million shares for 36.4 percent of total volume followed by Stationery and Office Supplies that ended with 2.58 million stocks for 13.4 percent of the day’s trade, Regency Petroleum closed with 2.08 million stocks for 10.8 percent of the volume traded, Future Energy closed with 1.28 million units for 6.6 percent of market share, Jamaican Teas ended with 1.20 million units for 6.2 percent of the day’s trade and Fosrich with 1.17 million units for 6.1 percent of the traded volume.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index advanced 41.28 points to end at 3,786.25 above the 2024 close, the third time for the month. The Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.7, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for financial years ending around August 2025.At the close of the of a day of winner outnumbering losers by a wide margin, Access Financial gained $2 to end at $18.55 with an exchange of 22,256 shares, AMG Packaging rose 11 cents to $3.26 with 2,314 stocks crossing the market, CAC 2000 rallied 44 cents to finish at $2.39 in an exchange of 10,011 shares. Cargo Handlers increased 50 cents and ended at $11.50 with traders dealing in 1,524 stock units, Dolphin Cove popped 7 cents to close at $19.56 as investors exchanged 8,012 shares, Everything Fresh advanced 6 cents in closing at $2.04 in trading 129,239 units. Express Catering skidded 18 cents to $3.05 after it closed with 68,690 stocks changing hands, Fontana sank 15 cents to close at $9.10 in an exchange of 27,986 stock units, Indies Pharma shed 13 cents and ended at $3.70 with investors swapping 531,979 shares.
JFP Ltd climbed 9 cents to finish at 94 cents after an exchange of 127,362 stock units, KLE Group popped 19 cents to end at $1.29 with investors dealing in 27 units, Knutsford Express gained $1.55 in closing at $14.30 after 22,556 stocks were traded. Limners and Bards rose 9 cents to $1.31 with investors trading 46,495 units, Regency Petroleum climbed 43 cents to close at $3.48 in switching ownership of 2,084,804 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies increased 20 cents to finish at $1.72 with investors trading 2,584,246 shares.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.