Trading closed on the Jamaica Stock Exchange Junior Market on Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 28 percent and the value 6 percent lower than on Wednesday and ended with rising stocks bettering those falling with the market index slipping mildly.
At the close of the market, 42 securities were traded versus 39 on Wednesday and ended with 18 rising, 14 declining and ten closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index lost 11.37 points to settle at 4,226.66.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 13.2. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks incorporate ICInsider.com projected earnings for companies with financial year end that falls between September this year and August 2023.
A total of 6,943,963 shares traded for $31,114,240 down from 9,607,258 units at 33,012,055 on Wednesday. Trading averaged 165,332 shares at $740,815, in contrast to 246,340 shares at $846,463 on Wednesday, with the month to date, averaging 204,336 units at $791,683. May closed with an average of 376,907 units at $1,638,631.
JFP Limited led trading with 2.02 million shares for 29.1 percent of total volume, followed by Jamaican Teas with 1.49 million units for 21.5 percent of the day’s trade and Spur Tree Spices with 577,493 units for 8.3 percent market share.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows one stock ending with a bid higher than the last selling price and three with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging climbed 17 cents in closing at $3.67 with an exchange of 28,783 shares, Cargo Handlers rallied $1 to close at $12, with 85,940 stocks crossing the exchange, Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 22 cents to end at $2.44 after investors cleared the market of just 1,601 stock units. Dolphin Cove fell 90 cents to $17 in switching ownership of 5,289 units, Everything Fresh gained 14 cents in ending at $1.47 after exchanging 9,137 stocks, Fosrich jumped $3.94 to close at $30.95 in trading 318,484 stock units. Honey Bun dropped 73 cents to end at $8.26 as investors exchanged 88,534 units, iCreate fell 35 cents to $2.90 in an exchange of 245,193 shares, KLE Group advanced 15 cents to $2.06 with 1,870 stock units changing hands. Knutsford Express declined 13 cents in closing at $8.50, trading 99 shares, Mailpac Group popped 11 cents in ending at $2.78 while exchanging 13,180 stocks, 
Main Event climbed 35 cents to close at $8.60, trading 29,000 units. Spur Tree Spices shed 10 cents in closing at $3.95 after exchanging 577,493 stocks, SSL Venture declined 19 cents to end at $1.66, with 40 stock units crossing the market and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced $1.08 to $12.08 with the swapping of 56,765 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
The Junior Market Index rose 34.94 points to 4,238.03, as the market continues to recover from the sell off in the last and the previous week.
Mailpac Group with 1.47 million units for 15.3 percent of the day’s trade and Lumber Depot with 745,196 units for 7.8 percent market share.
Medical Disposables declined 69 cents to end at $7.50 in exchanging 413,092 units, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed 20 cents to $11, with 66,394 stock units changing hands and tTech increased 30 cents ending at $3.80 with the swapping of 12,993 shares.
At the close of trading, AMG Packaging increased 18 cents to end at $3.68, with 2,308 shares crossing the exchange, CAC 2000 popped $1.09 in closing at $7.40, with 10 units crossing the market, Cargo Handlers rallied 10 cents to $11.70 in trading 1,000 stock units. Dolphin Cove rose 19 cents to $18.19 in switching ownership of 48,002 stocks, Everything Fresh advanced 13 cents to close at $1.35 after exchanging 55,263 stocks, Express Catering gained 31 cents to close at $5.93 with 5,500 units changing hands. Fosrich climbed $3.50 to end at $27 in exchanging 200,352 shares, iCreate increased 15 cents in ending at $3.35 with the swapping of 188,285 stock units, Indies Pharma advanced 15 cents in closing at $3.15 in an exchange of 442,845 stock units. Iron Rock Insurance popped 22 cents to $3.30 with 3,562 units clearing the market, Jetcon Corporation lost 11 cents to end at $1.39 with an exchange of 251,118 stocks, KLE Group dropped 49 cents to $1.91 after 36,128 shares crossed the market. 
Knutsford Express gained 20 cents in closing at $8, with 3,257,783 units changing hands, Lasco Distributors shed 28 cents to close at $3.17 while exchanging 4,988 stocks, Lasco Financial rose 18 cents to $3.48, trading 103,584 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies rallied 20 cents to $10.80 after exchanging 13,343 shares and tTech declined 39 cents in closing at $3.50 in trading 5,217 units.
The shifting of Dolla Financial out of the TOP10 resulted in 
During the week, General Accident reported first quarter results with profit due to shareholders of the parent company rising 36 percent to $49 million, Friday after trading, Lasco Distributors reported profit increasing 12 percent for the full year to $1 billion but the final quarter being up 35 percent to $241 million and Lasco Manufacturing rising 45 percent in the March quarter to $522 million and the full year up 24 percent to $1.7 billion.ICInsider.com upgraded earnings for Lasco Distributors to 50 cents from 45 cents, but the others remain as previously stated. All three stocks are trading below ten times 2022 earnings and therefore have huge potential to appreciate.
Watch these stocks that sit just outside the TOP10 that investors should watch. They include Key Insurance, followed by Caribbean Producers and Scotia Group from the Main Market. In the Junior Market, Iron Rock Insurance, Dolphin Cove, Jetcon Corporation, Stationery and Office Supplies and Lasco Manufacturingreported strong fourth quarter results to March this year.
All 45 listed securities traded compared to 43 on Friday, with 36 declining. Only three gained and six closed unchanged, pushing the Junior Market Index down by a hefty 228.07 points or 5.52 percent to close at 4,129.74.
At the close, Access Financial dropped $2.21 to end at $20.91 after exchanging 13,794 shares, Blue Power rose 25 cents to $4, trading 80 units, Cargo Handlers declined $1.30 in closing at $10.40, with 13,101 stocks crossing the market. Caribbean Cream lost 45 cents to close at $4.72, with 65,045 stock units clearing the market, Consolidated Bakeries shed 19 cents to $1.20 after 374,062 stocks crossed the exchange, Derrimon Trading fell 12 cents to close at $2.90 in an exchange of 1,291,861 shares. Dolphin Cove fell $1.62 in closing at $16.98 after exchanging 395,202 stock units, but it traded as low as $14 in early morning trading, EduFocal lost 42 cents to end at $2.75, with 2,290,798 units crossing the market, Elite Diagnostic declined 43 cents in ending at $3.51 with 870,148 units changing hands. Express Catering shed 26 cents to end at $5.54 in switching ownership of 687,522 shares, Fontana dropped 10 cents after ending at $9.90 while exchanging 776,176 stock units, Fosrich shed $3 to end at $25 in trading 469,131 stocks. Future Energy Source lost 72 cents to close at $5.52 with the swapping of 1,391,166 stock units, Honey Bun fell $1.19 in closing at $8.01 after exchanging 111,904 units, iCreate declined 37 cents to $3.19, with 506,855 shares changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance dropped 20 cents to $3.10, trading 1,873 stocks, ISP Finance dropped $7 to close at $22.50 with an exchange of 23 stock units, Jamaican Teas fell 25 cents to end at $3.16, trading 1,881,644 stocks. Jetcon Corporation declined 26 cents in closing at $1.30 in exchanging 569,058 units, JFP Ltd lost 27 cents to end at $1.33 after 1,703,508 shares crossed the market, KLE Group popped 10 cents to close at $2.40 with 1,135 shares clearing the market. 
Knutsford Express shed 20 cents to $7.60 with the swapping of 11,987 stocks, Lasco Financial fell 22 cents in closing at $3.31 after trading 100,336 units,Lasco Manufacturing declined 11 cents in ending at $5, with 40,055 stock units changing hands. Lumber Depot lost 30 cents to end at $3.11 with an exchange of 2,444,142 stock units, Mailpac Group dropped 33 cents in closing at $2.61 after trading 905,286 units, Main Event shed 60 cents to $8.30 in switching ownership of 62,663 shares. Medical Disposables declined 45 cents in ending at $7.55 after 48,201 stocks crossed the exchange, Paramount Trading dropped 22 cents to end at $1.80 in trading 37,686 shares, Spur Tree Spices shed 35 cents to close at $3.50 after exchanging 2,804,435 stock units. Stationery and Office Supplies lost 15 cents to close at $12 in an exchange of 138,126 stocks, but the stock traded as low as $10 before rebounding, Tropical Battery fell 40 cents to end at $2.45, with 1,687,606 units crossing the market and tTech declined 10 cents in ending at $3.50 after exchanging 63,018 units.
The other stock to climb into the ICTOP10 this week is Lasco Distributors, back in at the number 10 spot.
ICInsider.com ranks stocks based on projected earnings to highlight winners from the rest, allowing investors to focus on potential winning stocks and helping to remove emotional attachments to stocks that often result in costly mistakes.
Like Wednesday, all but one of the 45 listed securities traded on Thursday, with 15 rising, 17 declining and 12 closing unchanged. The Junior Market Index gained 25.36 points to 4,361.52.
Derrimon Trading led market activity, with 11.56 million shares for 63.6 percent of total volume, followed by Lumber Depot with 1.91 million units for 10.5 percent of the day’s trade and Tropical Battery with 937,196 units for 5.2 percent market share.
Lumber Depot rallied 22 cents to close at $3.50 in switching ownership of 1,911,005 shares, Mailpac Group rose 20 cents to $2.95, with 166,653 stocks clearing the market, Medical Disposables dropped 43 cents in closing at $7.96 with an exchange of 64,569 units and Tropical Battery popped 14 cents to end at $2.75 with the swapping of 937,196 shares.
At the close, Access Financial slipped 18 cents to $23.15, with ten shares changing hands, Blue Power advanced 24 cents to $3.94 in an exchange of 110 stock units, Cargo Handlers rose 93 cents in closing at $11.86 after an exchange of 55 units. Derrimon Trading gained 11 cents to end at $3.07, trading 170,395 stocks, Dolphin Cove dropped $1.20 to close at $19.50, with 26,607 shares crossing the exchange, Elite Diagnostic declined 37 cents to close at $3.78 in switching ownership of 340,612 stock units. Fosrich fell $1.69 to $28.30 with an exchange of 234,432 units, Future Energy Source climbed 31 cents to end at $6.20 in exchanging 494,350 stocks, Honey Bun rallied 10 cents to $9.30 after 18,462 units crossed the market. iCreate shed 25 cents in closing at $3.55 while exchanging 191,897 stocks, Iron Rock Insurance increased 14 cents in ending at $3.30 after trading 125 stock units, Jetcon Corporation lost 10 cents to close at $1.45 after 438,574 shares changed hands. Knutsford Express popped 20 cents in closing at $7.80 in trading 18,743 shares, Lasco Distributors gained 17 cents to $3.50 with the swapping of 226,885 units, Main Event climbed 73 cents to end at $8.99 with 43,200 stock units clearing the market. 
Spur Tree Spices increased 12 cents ending at $3.90, with 946,973 stocks crossing the market, Stationery and Office Supplies shed 49 cents to $13.01 in swopping ownership of 79,888 shares and Tropical Battery dipped 14 cents to close at $2.61, with 624,509 units changing hands.
Market activity led to 43 securities trading, down from 45 on Monday and ended with 15 rising, 19 declining and nine closing unchanged.
At the close, Access Financial advanced $1.85 to $23.33 after exchanging 1,015 shares, AMG Packaging declined 20 cents to $3.50 while trading 90,887 stocks, Blue Power fell 25 cents in closing at $3.70 with the swapping of 162 units. Cargo Handlers dropped 82 cents to end at $10.93 after trading 845 stock units, Caribbean Cream lost 30 cents to close at $4.90 after 30,250 units crossed the exchange, Dolphin Cove climbed 89 cents in closing at $20.70 in switching ownership of 12,082 shares. Elite Diagnostic rose 40 cents to $4.15 with an exchange of 238,300 stocks, Fontana shed 48 cents ending at $10.50 in trading 80,397 stock units, Fosrich shed 79 cents to close at $29.99, with 91,153 stock units changing hands. Future Energy Source declined 42 cents to $5.89 after 1,973,947 units crossed the market, ISP Finance gained $1.43 to close at $29.50 trading 31 stocks, Jamaican Teas rallied 11 cents in closing at $3.48 while trading 455,898 shares. Jetcon Corporation popped 13 cents to $1.55, with 68,666 units crossing the market, JFP Limited lost 15 cents to end at $1.54 in exchanging 3,691,107 shares, Knutsford Express dropped 20 cents in ending at $7.60, with 3,000 stock units clearing the market. 
Lasco Distributors fell 17 cents in closing at $3.33 after exchanging 119,173 stocks, Main Event fell 74 cents to close at $8.26 after an exchange of 95,412 stocks, Medical Disposables increased 85 cents to end at 52 weeks’ high of $8.40, with 98,567 stock units changing hands. Spur Tree Spices dropped 22 cents in ending at $3.78 after 1,780,721 units crossed the market, Stationery and Office Supplies increased 50 cents to end at 52 weeks’ high of $13.50 in switching ownership of 52,406 shares and tTech rallied 15 cents to $3.65, with 12,050 stock units crossing the market.
Market activity led to 45 securities trading compared to 44 on Friday and ended with 15 rising, 17 declining and 13 closing unchanged.
At the close, AMG Packaging gained 20 cents to close at $3.70 trading of 82,039 shares, Cargo Handlers popped $1.50 to $11.75 with an exchange of 5,770 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries popped 13 cents to $1.39, with 439,482 stocks crossing the exchange. Derrimon Trading 26 cents to end at $2.94, with 837,205 units passing through the market, Dolphin Cove climbed $1.81 to $19.81, with 71,493 units clearing the market, EduFocal lost 10 cents to close at $3.12, trading 971,822 shares. Elite Diagnostic declined 25 cents to end at $3.75 while exchanging 2,215,388 stock units, Fosrich dropped 20 cents in closing at $30.78 in switching ownership of 135,750 stocks, and Future Energy Source fell 19 cents to $6.31 in an exchange of 1,390,058 units. iCreate declined 26 cents to close at $3.75 after exchanging 74,053 stocks, ISP Finance jumped $5.77 to $28.07, with 35 shares crossing the market, Jamaican Teas dropped 11 cents in closing at $3.37 after 531,901 stock units changed hands. KLE Group gained 25 cents in ending at $2.40 and exchanging 6,000 stock units, Limners and Bards fell 14 cents to close at $3.15 with the swapping of 51,280 units, Main Event rallied 50 cents to end at $9, with 78,728 stocks changing hands. 
Medical Disposables climbed 29 cents to $7.55 in trading 205,196 shares, SSL Venture gained 10 cents in closing at $1.75 after exchanging 518,833 units, Stationery and Office Supplies climbed $2 to a 52 weeks’ closing high of $13 after 219,069 stock units crossed the market and Tropical Battery shed 15 cents to close at $2.75 while exchanging 2,742,878 shares.
