Trading drops on Junior Market

Trading closed modestly higher on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Friday, following a 40 percent fall in the volume of stocks traded with the value dropping 38 percent lower than on Thursday after trading resulted 41 securities changing hands compared with 43 on Thursday and ended with prices of 17 rising, 12 declining and 12 closing unchanged.
Investors traded 3,789,177 shares for $9,092,799 compared with 6,265,342 units at $14,610,525 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 92,419 shares at $221,776 compared with 145,706 units at $339,780 on Thursday with a month to date, an average of 134,726 units at $331,232 versus 139,140 stocks at $342,651 on the previous day. April closed with an average of  266,661 units at $2,583,503.
Fosrich led trading with 726,482 shares for 19.2 percent of total volume, followed by Mailpac Group with 591,469 units for 15.6 percent of the day’s trade and Image Plus Consultants with 347,986 units for 9.2 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index advanced 3.62 points to finish at 3,765.62.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.4. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed 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 ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial fell $1.50 to end at $23 in an exchange of 1,000 shares, AMG Packaging dropped 11 cents to $2.69 after shareholders traded 26,195 stocks, Cargo Handlers declined 70 cents to close at $15 with investors transferring 597 stock units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 48 cents in closing at a 52 weeks’ high of $2.88 in trading 182,242 units, following the release of the first quarter results on Thursday showing a major increase in profits over the same period in 2022. Consolidated Bakeries lost 26 cents to end at $2.03, with 10,011 shares changing hands, Dolphin Cove rose 29 cents to end at $15.29 after exchanging 259 stocks, EduFocal popped 19 cents in closing at $1.94, with 210,691 stock units crossing the exchange, Everything Fresh climbed 29 cents to close at $1.89 after a transfer of 75,146 units, as investors responded well to first quarter results that saw profit jumping sharply over that in 2022. Honey Bun gained 17 cents to end at $6.48 while exchanging 25,360 units, Indies Pharma increased 13 cents to $3.18 with shareholders swapping 300 stocks, Knutsford Express dipped 89 cents to end at $10.50, with 1,065 stock units crossing the market, Lasco Financial rallied 11 cents in closing at $2.46 while 115,108 shares passed through the market. Mailpac Group climbed 8 cents to close at $2 after an exchange of 591,469 units following release of the first quarter results slightly improved profit in comparison with 2022, Main Event popped 30 cents to end at $12.75 with an exchange of 100 stocks, MFS Capital Partners shed 14 cents to $3.21 with 102 shares changing hands and Stationery and Office Supplies advanced $1.43 to end at $15.65 2,202 stock units crossing the market, following the release of improved profit from normal operations.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.