Trading picks up for Junior Market stocks

Trading closed on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, with a 150 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded on Thursday, with the value surging 241 percent over Wednesday’s levels with trading in 47 securities compared with 44 previously and ending with prices of 19 rising, 17 declining and 11 closing unchanged.
The market closed with 7,997,362 shares trading for $30,390,340 versus 3,193,504 units at $8,909,855 on Wednesday.
Trading ended with an average of 170,157 shares at $646,603, compared with 72,580 units at $202,497 on Wednesday with a month to date, average of 191,531 units at $472,744 compared to 197,372 stock units at $425,236 on the previous day and February with an average of 253,246 units at $637,481.
Lasco Distributors led trading with 4.65 million shares for 58.1 percent of total volume followed by Regency Petroleum with 522,994 units for 6.5 percent of the day’s trade and Fosrich with 454,665 units for 5.7 percent market share.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index popped 1.64 points to finish at 3,828.33.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.3, 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 none ended with a bid higher than the last selling price and four with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial sank 15 cents to end at $21.15 with investors trading 75,099 stocks, AMG Packaging rose 28 cents to $3.19 and closed with an exchange of 4,410 units, Blue Power skidded 49 cents and ended at $2.74 as investors exchanged 155,951 shares. Cargo Handlers rallied $1.83 to close at $14.35, with 3 stock units clearing the market, Consolidated Bakeries popped 5 cents to $2.20 trading 504 shares, Derrimon Trading increased 6 cents to $1.94 with 33,579 units changing hands. Dolphin Cove climbed 10 cents to $19.80 in trading 2,493 stocks, Elite Diagnostic fell 14 cents in closing at $1.55 with 22,671 stock units crossing the market, Fontana dropped 7 cents to close at $9.31 while exchanging 48,262 shares. Fosrich shed 17 cents and ended at $2.04 after 454,665 stocks passed through the market, Honey Bun jumped 43 cents to a 52 weeks’ high of $7.30 with investors swapping 74,510 units, ISP Finance declined by $3.40 to close at $28.10 in an exchange of 386 stock units. JFP Ltd gained 5 cents and ended at $1.41 with investors transferring 21,363 shares, KLE Group popped 8 cents in closing at $1.98, with one unit crossing the exchange, Lasco Distributors rose 10 cents to $4.45 in switching ownership of 4,650,371 stocks. Lasco Manufacturing lost 5 cents in closing at $5.50 after an exchange of 243,397 stock units, Limners and Bards rose 12 cents to $1.62 with investors dealing in 6,694 shares, Lumber Depot gained 20 cents to end at $2.78 after a transfer of 55,273 units. Mailpac Group dipped 7 cents to $2.07 with traders dealing in 173,970 stocks, MFS Capital Partners sank 6 cents and ended at $1.95 after an exchange of 275,191 stock units, Spur Tree Spices rallied 9 cents to $2.53 with a transfer of 2,041 shares and Tropical Battery increased 13 cents to end at $2.25, with 10,837 units crossing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.