Trading plunges on Junior Market

Trading dropped sharply on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Tuesday, with a decline of 71 percent in the volume of stocks traded, following a 65 percent fall in value compared with Monday’s trading, resulting in 45 securities changing hands compared with 42 on Monday and ending with prices of 10 stocks rising, 26 declining and nine closing unchanged.
The market closed with an exchange of 3,460,585 shares for $8,913,356 down from 11,955,696 units at $25,250,753 on Monday.
Trading averaged 76,902 shares for $198,075 compared to 284,659 units at $601,208 on Monday with the month to date, averaging 216,711 stock units at $518,289 compared to 235,325 stock units at $560,921 on the previous day and January with an average of 175,081 units at $401,738.
Tropical Battery led trading with 847,958 shares for 24.5 percent of total volume followed by One Great Studio with 346,363 units for 10 percent of the day’s trade and Indies Pharma with 292,036 units for 8.4 percent market share.
At the close of trading, the Junior Market Index sank 19.52 points to wrap-up trading at 3,813.84.
The Junior Market ended trading with an average PE Ratio of 13.4, 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 seven stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial dropped $1.24 to close at $21.41 with investors dealing in a mere 76 stock units, AMG Packaging shed 24 cents to close at $2.71 in an exchange of 1,265 shares, CAC 2000 declined 68 cents to end at $3.83 with traders dealing in 526 units. Caribbean Flavours lost 10 cents in closing at $1.60, with 2,000 stocks crossing the market, Consolidated Bakeries increased 11 cents and ended at $2.21 with investors trading 2,000 shares, Dolphin Cove skidded 32 cents to $18 and closed with an exchange of 7,149 units. Elite Diagnostic sank 12 cents in closing at $1.69 after a transfer of 19,333 stocks, Everything Fresh dipped 18 cents and ended at $1.52 in trading 13,655 stock units, Fontana climbed 28 cents to close at $10.60 after 52,304 shares passed through the market. Honey Bun rose 19 cents to end at $6.69 with investors transferring 768 stocks, Indies Pharma fell 8 cents in closing at $2.60 in an exchange of 292,036 units, ISP Finance dropped $6.33 to $25.02 with 16 stock units clearing the market. Jamaican Teas rallied 9 cents and ended at $2.58 with a transfer of 111,114 shares, Lasco Distributors fell 22 cents to close at $3.76 after an exchange of 86,350 stock units, Lasco Manufacturing popped 14 cents to end at $5 after trading 166,322 stocks. Limners and Bards gained 10 cents in closing at $1.65 with an exchange of 6,102 units, Lumber Depot fell 18 cents to $2.32, with 110,547 shares crossing the market, Mailpac Group advanced 9 cents to end at $2.19 with investors exchanging 86,500 stock units, ahead of the company announcing the acquisition of MyCart Express, a Jamaican based courier service company. Main Event dipped 13 cents to close at $14.79 in switching ownership of 248 stocks, Medical Disposables sank 20 cents and ended at $2.52, with 262 stock units crossing the exchange, Spur Tree Spices shed 8 cents to $2.32 with investors swapping 200,107 shares and Tropical Battery declined 15 cents in closing at $2.55 after exchanging 847,958 units after the company reported a solid 45 percent growth in their first quarter profit.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.