Trading pushed the Junior Market Index up 56.78 points on Wednesday to a near two years’ record high of 3,457.41, to be up 30.8 percent for the year to date, to sit just below the previous high of 3,462.91 reached back on December 6, 2019. The volume of stocks trading rose 60 percent, with the value rising 29 percent above trading on Tuesday on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market.
A total of 37 securities traded compared to 38 on Tuesday and ended with 18 rising, 13 declining and six closing unchanged.
The PE Ratio, a measure used in computing appropriate stock values, averages 13.7. The PE ratio of each stock shown in the chart below is based on earnings forecasted by ICInsider.com for companies with their financial year ending up to August 2022.
A total of 10,137,629 shares traded for $28,425,300 compared to 6,323,597 units at $22,068,391 on Tuesday. Future Energy Source led the market with 39.8 percent of total volume after trading 4.03 million shares, followed by Caribbean Assurance Brokers 18 percent with 1.82 million units and Lumber Depot 8.9 percent with 898,450 shares.
Trading averaged 273,990 shares at $768,251 up from 166,410 shares at $580,747 on Tuesday. Trading month to date, averages 135,053 units at $456,137, compared to 115,871 units at $413,046 on Tuesday. October closed with an average of 162,777 units at $557,275.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and seven with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dropped 25 cents and finished unchanged at $20.25 after exchanging 1,424 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers advanced 59 cents in ending at $2.29 trading 1,822,207 stocks, as investors responded positively to the release of results that shoed 31 cents per share for the nine months to September after reporting 41 cents for the September quarter. Caribbean Cream climbed 28 cents to $6 after exchanging 8,978s tock units. Dolphin Cove rose 9 cents to $10, with 29,850 units changing hands, Elite Diagnostic rallied 33 cents to end at $3.48 after 314,805 units crossed the market, Fontana increased 30 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $7.60 in an exchange of 115,216 stocks. General Accident popped 79 cents to end at $6.80 while exchanging 20,775 stock units, Honey Bun shed 35 cents in closing at $9.15 and trading 47,495 shares, Indies Pharma fell 15 cents to $3.05 in exchanging 288,370 stocks. Iron Rock Insurance spiked 71 cents to finish unchanged at $3.78, with one stock unit crossing the market, Jamaican Teas lost 25 cents to close at $4.25, with 163,617 units clearing the market, KLE Group declined 64 cents in ending at $2.50 after 11,500 shares changed hands. Knutsford Express shed 9 cents in closing at $8 closed after trading 11,870 units, Lasco Distributors gained 17 cents to $3.70 with the swapping of 13,538 stock units, Lasco Financial popped 14 cents and finished unchanged at $3.24 with an exchange of 154,500 stocks. Limners and Bards advanced 16 cents to close at $3.47 in trading 114,808 shares, Lumber Depot declined 15 cents to end at $2.82 in switching ownership of 898,450 stocks, Paramount Trading increased 11 cents in ending at $1.21 while exchanging 108,466 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 23 cents to close at $6.53 after trading 54,900 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.