Trading drops on the Junior Market

Trading dropped at the close of the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 46 percent, with a 60 percent fall in the value compared with Tuesday and ended with trading in 37 securities down from 44 on Tuesday with prices of 16 stocks rising, 11 declining and 10 closing unchanged.
The market closed on Wednesday with an exchange of 7,539,058 shares for $16,711,931 compared to 13,878,813 units at $41,634,700 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 203,758 shares at $451,674, compared to 315,428 units at $946,243 on Tuesday with the month to date, averaging 213,894 units at $545,043 compared with 216,013 stock units at $564,561 on the previous day and January with an average of 175,081 units at $401,738.
EduFocal led trading with 1.14 million shares for 15.1 percent of total volume followed by Spur Tree Spices with 1.06 million units for 14 percent of the day’s trade and Dolla Financial with 760,918 stock units for 10.1 percent market share.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index popped 7.27 points to conclude trading at 3,827.46, with a decline for the year to date of 0.5 percent.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.5, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for the financial years ending around August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows five stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and five with lower offers.
At the close of the market, Blue Power advanced 35 cents in closing at $3.30 in an exchange of 15 shares, Dolla Financial declined 9 cents to $2.89 with investors trading 760,918 stocks, Dolphin Cove sank $1.48 after ending at $17.52, with 33,965 shares passing through the exchange. Fontana lost 25 cents to close at $10.25 with a transfer of 25,800 stock units, Indies Pharma rose 9 cents to end at $2.80 after  trading of 325 shares, ISP Finance climbed $6.34 to $31.35 with just 5 stock units passing through the market. Lasco Distributors increased 18 cents to close at $4.03 with an exchange of 867 stock units, Limners and Bards popped 20 cents in ending at $1.72, with 85,255 stocks changing hands, Spur Tree Spices skidded 17 cents to end at $2.30 as investors exchanged 1,055,040 shares and Stationery and Office Supplies gained 15 cents in closing at $1.85 after an exchange of 572,489 units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.