The Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange closed trading on Friday, with the market index down just over 102 points for the month even as interest rates fell sharply on Bank of Jamaica CDs as the market activity led to an 86 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded on Friday, with 71 percent more value than Thursday, with trading in 40 securities down from 48 on Thursday and ending with prices of 24 rising, only six declining and 10 closing unchanged.
Trading resulted in an exchange of 41,404,006 shares for $72,343,153 compared with 22,216,869 units at $42,389,925 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 1,035,100 shares at $1,808,579 compared to 462,851 stocks at $883,123 on Thursday with the month to date, averaging 389,714 units at $570,529 compared with 357,160 shares at $508,080 on the previous day and July averaging 358,542 units at $736,760.
Limners and Bards led trading with 8.07 million shares for 19.5 percent of total volume followed by Jamaican Teas with 7.25 million stocks for 17.5 percent of the day’s trade, Regency Petroleum with 5.98 million units for 14.4 percent market share, newly listed RA Williams with 4.59 million shares for 11.1 percent of the market trading, Stationery and Office Supplies with 4.48 million stock units for 10.8 percent of stocks traded and Omni Industries with 2.57 million units for 6.2 percent of total volume.
At the close, the Junior Market Index rallied 33.16 points to end the month at 3,649.12, well off from the 3,751.94 at the close of July.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 12.6, based on last traded prices in conjunction with earnings projected by ICInsider.com for financial years ending around August 2025.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and two with lower offers.
At the close of trading, Access Financial gained 7 cents to end at $21.56 with a transfer of 74 stocks, Dolla Financial rose 10 cents and ended at $3, with 319,804 shares crossing the market, Dolphin Cove fell 20 cents in closing at $23 after a transfer of 9,008 units. Fontana climbed 11 cents to finish at $8.25 with traders dealing in 8,009 stocks, Honey Bun increased 11 cents to end at $8.35 in an exchange of 1,798 shares,
Image Plus popped 19 cents to close at $1.74 with 581,346 stock units crossing the market. Indies Pharma advanced 18 cents to $2.78 with an exchange of 623,820 units, Jamaican Teas slipped 10 cents in closing at $2.27 with 7,246,509 stocks changing hands, Knutsford Express rallied 7 cents and ended at $10.57 with investors dealing in 33,444 shares. Limners and Bards rose 17 cents to finish at $1.55 in an exchange of 8,069,372 stocks, Lumber Depot climbed 11 cents to close at $2.95 with 1,301 units clearing the market, Omni Industries increased 16 cents to end at $1.18 in trading 2,574,674 stock units. One Great Studio popped 8 cents to 79 cents after 1,280,649 shares passed through the market, Regency Petroleum rallied 28 cents to close at $2.69 with investors trading 5,978,886 stocks and Tropical Battery sank 12 cents to finish at $2.32 with 54,411 units crossing the exchange.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
