Trading jumps on the Junior Market

Trading climbed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Wednesday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 43 percent and the value 58 percent more than Tuesday following trading in 40 securities similar to the outcome on Tuesday and ended with 18 rising, 13 declining and nine unchanged but that failed to save the market index from dropping at the close following a jump in the index in the morning session.
Investors traded 4,766,135 shares for $10,223,648 compared with 3,334,500 units at $6,456,830 on Tuesday.
Trading averaged 119,153 shares at $255,591 compared to 83,363 units at $161,421 on Tuesday with the month to date, averaging 132,501 stock units at $288,790 compared to 134,174 shares at $292,953 on the previous day and markedly lower than November with an average of 262,280 units at $587,545, after the market opened in the 3,750 range.
Spur Tree Spices led trading with 1.02 million shares for 21.3 percent of total volume followed by Fosrich with 626,665 units for 13.1 percent of the day’s trade and Dolla Financial with 626,493 units for 13.1 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index lost 41.33 points to close at 3,682.38 after the market traded in the 3,750 range in early market activity.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.2, 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 six stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and six with lower offers.
At the close, Blue Power rallied 35 cents and ended at $3 as 69,678 stocks passed through the market, following the release of half year results with profit up 330 percent to $70.5 million, Cargo Handlers rose 95 cents to close at $14.95 with an exchange of 110 units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 26 cents to $2.50, with 1,232 shares clearing the market. Caribbean Flavours popped 20 cents in closing at $1.50 with a transfer of 135,000 stock units, Derrimon Trading dipped 17 cents to end at $1.86, with 75,221 shares crossing the market, Dolla Financial increased 10 cents in closing at $2.50 with investors trading 626,493 stock units. Dolphin Cove fell 17 cents to $17 and closed with an exchange of 614 stocks, Elite Diagnostic advanced 8 cents and ended at $1.74 with investors trading 29,491 units, Express Catering gained 12 cents to end at $3.95, with an exchange of 415 shares. Fontana skidded 49 cents to close at $10 after a transfer of 53,519 stocks, GWest Corporation popped 12 cents to 95 cents with shareholders swapping 300,000 units, Indies Pharma lost 16 cents to end at $2.83 after an exchange of 130 stock units. Jamaican Teas climbed 16 cents in closing at $2.46, with the trading of 14,560 shares, Lasco Distributors declined 46 cents to $3.52 with stakeholders exchanging 4,272 units, Lasco Manufacturing shed 43 cents to end at $4.20 in switching ownership of 40,621 stocks. Mailpac Group dropped 8 cents to $2.02 as investors exchanged 18,030 stock units, Main Event popped 30 cents to $13.40 after 11,050 shares were traded, Paramount Trading advanced 15 cents in closing at $1.67 with traders dealing in 23 units. Regency Petroleum rose 18 cents and ended at $2.38 in an exchange of 216,183 stocks and Tropical Battery shed 15 cents to close at $1.80 with investors dealing in 85,794 stock units.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.