Trading climbs for Junior Market

The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed out July on a positive note on Monday, driven by a 110 percent surge in the volume of stocks traded following a 72 percent jump in value over Friday, with trading in 45 securities compared with 42 on Friday and ended with prices of 24 rising, 12 declining and nine closing unchanged.
Investors traded 24,315,536 shares for $54,444,749 up from 11,568,133 units at $31,577,030 on Friday.
Trading averaged 540,345 shares at $1,209,883, compared with 275,432 shares at $751,834 on Friday, with the month to date averaging 326,541 units at $843,878 compared to 315,596 stock units at $825,141 on the previous trading day. June closed with an average of 319,230 units at $854,456.
Spur Tree Spices led trading with 7.30 million shares for 30 percent of total volume, followed by ONE on ONE Educational with 4.36 million units for 17.9 percent of the day’s trade, JFP Ltd chipped in with 4.06 million units for 16.7 percent market share, Lumber Depot closed with 2.63 million units for 10.8 percent market share and Dolla Financial ended with 2.02 million units for 8.3 percent of total volume.
At the close, the Junior Market Index climbed 30.73 points to settle at 3,940.00.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are calculated using the last traded price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows six stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial popped $2.50 to $25.30, with investors exchanging 89,609 shares, Blue Power increased 38 cents to end at $2.90 as investors traded 122 units, Cargo Handlers rallied 30 cents to $17 with a transfer of 1,000 stock units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers dipped 9 cents to end at $2.90 after 24,617 stocks passed through the market. Caribbean Cream climbed 29 cents to close at $4.44 with shareholders swapping 2,737 stock units, Consolidated Bakeries declined 15 cents to $2.60 in an exchange of 10,055 units, Dolla Financial dropped 38 cents in closing at $2.50 after exchanging 2,016,744 stocks, EduFocal lost 17 cents to end at $1.63 in switching ownership of 63,909 shares. Everything Fresh rose 18 cents to close at $1.55 after investors traded 50,500 shares, Future Energy Source gained 9 cents and ended at $3.99 in trading 251,515 units, Honey Bun fell 80 cents to end at a 52 weeks’ closing low of $5.70, with 32,983 stocks clearing the market, Image Plus Consultants shed 12 cents in closing at $2.22 with 70,821 stock units crossing the exchange. Jamaican Teas advanced 15 cents and ended at $2.35 with an exchange of 179,913 stock units, JFP Ltd climbed 21 cents to $1.95 with 4,059,134 units changing hands, Knutsford Express advanced 94 cents to close at $11.90, with 46,155 stocks crossing the market, Lasco Distributors rose 12 cents to $4.11 while exchanging 55,572 shares. Lasco Financial shed 9 cents to close at $2.30 in an exchange of 5,999 stocks, Lumber Depot rallied 21 cents to end at $2.30 with investors transferring 2,629,305 shares, Medical Disposables increased 10 cents in closing at $4.10, after 1,423 units passed through the exchange, ONE on ONE Educational popped 8 cents in ending at $1.13 after a transfer of 4,359,129 stock units, Stationery and Office Supplies popped 36 cents in closing at $3.15 after an exchange of 526,540 stock units, following the nine of one stock split taking effect on the exchange for the first time and Tropical Battery declined 19 cents to $1.92 and closed with 171,673 shares changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.