The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed on Thursday, with the market rising after more stocks rose than declined as investors traded 24 percent fewer shares with a value that was 31 percent lower than on Wednesday.
Trading ended with 31 securities changing hands compared to 30 on Wednesday and concluded with the prices of 18 stocks rising, nine stocks declining and the prices of four remaining unchanged.
At the close, the Junior Market Index advanced by 18.79 points to settle at 2,539.27, the average PE Ratio of the market ended at 10.3 based on IC Insider.com’s forecast of 2020-21 earnings.
The market closed with an exchange of 1,285,358 shares for $2,896,174 compared to 1,689,114 units at $4,189,210 on Wednesday.
Lumber Depot led trading with 347,991 shares for 27.1 percent of total volume followed by Everything Fresh with 237,357 units for 18.5 percent of the day’s trade and Lasco Distributors with 107,689 units for 8.4 percent market share.
Trading ended with an average of 41,463 units at $93,425 in contrast to 56,304 at $139,640 on Wednesday. For the month to date, the average trade resulted in an exchange of 122,004 units at $347,515, in comparison to 128,736 units at $368,689 on Wednesday. Trading in July resulted in an average of 248,153 units at $668,727.
IC bid-offer Indicator| At the end of trading, the Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading for the market shows three stocks closing, with bids higher than their last selling prices and one with a lower offer.
At the close of the market, Access Financial climbed $3.50 to end at $23.50 with 43 shares changing hands, AMG Packaging gained 1 cent to settle at $1.71 with 4,318 stock units clearing the market, Blue Power advanced 4 cents to finish at $3.10 with 9,055 units traded. Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 30 cents to settle at $2.23 with investors transferring 12,714 shares, Caribbean Cream shed 92 cents to close at $4.12 in an exchange of 100 shares, Caribbean Flavours climbed 49 cents to end at $14.99 in trading 11,274 stock units. Elite Diagnostic advanced 25 cents to settle at $3.35, with 3,000 shares changing hands, Everything Fresh fell 10 cents to finish at 61 cents in the exchange of 237,357 shares, Express Catering lost 33 cents to close at $3.52, with investors transferring 25,584 stock units. Fontana lost 18 cents to settle at $4.81 in trading 92,479 units, Fosrich ended 5 cents lower at $3.80 with 14,108 stock units clearing the market, General Accident jumped $1.07 to close at $7 with 33,954 shares changing hands. Honey Bun gained 9 cents to close at $5.10 in the exchange of 105 units, iCreate rose 2 cents to end at 63 cents with 22,389 stock units traded, Indies Pharma advanced by 13 cents to finish at $2.80 with investors transferring 8,080 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance declined by 30 cents to end at $2.80 after exchanging 871 stocks, Jamaican Teas closed 9 cents higher at $4.69 with 74,744 shares traded, Jetcon Corporation gained 1 cent, with investors transferred 24,112 stock units to close at 82 cents. Lasco Distributors advanced 1 cent to settle at $3.26 with 107,689 stocks changing hands, Lasco Financial gained 9 cents to finish at $2.29 with 13,774 stock units clearing the market, Lasco Manufacturing slipped 1 cent to $3.89 with 11,000 shares traded. Limners and Bards advanced 9 cents to settle at $2.69 with investors switching ownership of 46,963 stock units, Lumber Depot declined by 1 cent in exchanging 347,991 shares to end at 97 cents, Mailpac Group rose 2 cents to close at $2 with investors transferring 66,860 stock units. Medical Disposables dropped 4 cents to finish at $4.95 with 10,939 units traded and SSL Venture rose 11 cents to end at 86 cents with 10,000 shares crossing the exchange.
In the preference segment of the market, CAC 2000 9.5% preference shares climbed 25 cents to settle at $1.20 with 4,900 stocks changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.