Trading rises but Junior Market falters

Trading picked up modestly on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Friday, compared with Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded rising 17 percent valued more than on Thursday after trading in 45 securities took place down from 47 on Thursday and ended with 19 rising, 21 declining and five closing unchanged.
A total of 12,592,410 shares were traded for $30,723,595 compared with 10,803,209 units at $29,542,706 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 279,831 shares at $682,747, compared with 229,856 shares at $628,568 on Thursday, with the month to date, averaging 376,466 units at $5,249,094 compared with 390,677 stock units at $5,920,615 on the previous day. The average trade for March ended at 509,288 units at $1,071,868.
JFP Ltd led trading with 3.10 million shares for 24.6 percent of total volume followed by Mailpac Group with 2.92 million units for 23.2 percent of the day’s trade, Dolla Financial ended with 1.95 million units for 15.5 percent market share and Future Energy Source with 1.10 million units for 8.7 percent of total volume.
At the close, the Junior Market Index fell 20.33 points to 3,665.75.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 11.1. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded stock price in conjunction with ICInsider.com’s projected earnings for the financial years ending between November 2023 and August 2024.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator shows three stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and four with lower offers.
At the close, AMG Packaging gained 24 cents to $2.75 as investors exchanged 5,770 shares, Dolla Financial fell 17 cents after ending at $2.63 in an exchange of 1,945,805 units, Express Catering declined 50 cents in closing at $5, with 72,674 stocks clearing the market, Image Plus Consultants dipped 10 cents to close at $1.95 with investors transferring 738,384 stock units, Indies Pharma rallied 10 cents to $3.10 after 207,207 stocks crossed the market, ISP Finance climbed 20 cents in closing at $21.20 in trading 3,213 stock units, Knutsford Express shed 28 cents to end at $11.50 after an exchange of 37 shares, Lasco Distributors lost 29 cents after ending at $2.17 with a transfer of 14,107 units, Lasco Financial dropped 13 cents to close at $2.40 after exchanging 10,310 units, Lasco Manufacturing rose 50 cents to $4.11 in switching ownership of 10,154 stocks, Limners and Bards lost 18 cents to end at $2.21, with 1,101 shares crossing the exchange, Mailpac Group popped 14 cents after ending at $1.87 with the swapping of 2,917,967 stock units, MFS Capital Partners rose 10 cents to close at $3.48, with 88,914 units crossing the market, Spur Tree Spices advanced 17 cents in closing at $2.70 as 75,000 shares passed through the market, Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 90 cents to $15 and closed after an exchange of 23 stocks and tTech rallied 26 cents to $2.55, with just one stock unit changing hands.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.