Junior market stocks lost grounds

Declining stocks overpowered stocks rising on Tuesday, with an 18 percent fall in the volume of stocks trading compared to Monday, but the market could not stem the pressure placed on prices on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange as it pushed the market index down well below the 3,400 point mark at the close.
Market activity led to 39 securities trading compared to 34 on Monday and ended with 12 rising, 19 declining and eight, closing unchanged.
The Junior Market Index shed a tidy 30.81 points to close at 3,365.05 and the PE Ratio, a measure used to compute an appropriate value of a stock, averages 13 based on ICInsider.com’s 2021-22 earnings forecast.
Trading ended with 3,029,126 shares for $9,624,269 compared to 3,684,108 units at $9,320,842 on Monday. Future Energy Source led trading with 786,406 shares for 26 percent of total volume followed by Jamaican Teas with 643,625 units for 21.2 percent and Mailpac Group with 267,809 units for 8.8 percent market share.
Trading averaged 77,670 units at $246,776 versus 108,356 at $274,142 on Monday. Trading month to date, averages 152,340 units at $348,009, down from 180,075 units at $385,610 on Monday. June closed with an average of 225,705 units at $644,459.
Investor’s Choice bid-offer indicator reading shows five stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and none with lower offers.
At the close, Blue Power dropped 30 cents to close at $3.40 after exchanging 52,500 shares, CAC 2000 popped 98 cents to $11.50 while trading 5,035 shares. Cargo Handlers gained 49 cents in closing at $8.50 after an exchange of 125 stock units, Caribbean Assurance Brokers fell 10 cents to $1.89 after trading 6,021 units, Caribbean Cream rallied 20 cents to close at $5.70, with 31,000 units clearing the market. Dolphin Cove fell 10 cents to $8.30 in an exchange of 280 shares. Elite Diagnostic rose 10 cents to $3.05, with 9,859 units changing hands, Express Catering declined 9 cents to $6 in switching ownership of 63,500 units. Fontana rose 11 cents to $6.07 in exchanging 53,427 shares, Fosrich dropped 7 cents in closing at $8.30, after 41,684 shares crossed the market, Future Energy Source climbed 3 cents to $1.40 trading 786,406 stocks. GWest Corporation shed 25 cents in ending at $1.15 with the swapping of 25,000 units, Indies Pharma lost 25 cents to end at $3.63, with 24,137 stocks changing hands. Iron Rock Insurance fell 45 cents to $3 in switching ownership of 2,000 stocks, ISP Finance dived $4.10 to $17.30, after 30 units crossed the market, Jetcon Corporation advanced 17 cents to $1.52 in trading 440 stock units. Knutsford Express shed 50 cents to $8 after exchanging 7,580 units, Lasco Distributors declined 8 cents to $3.92, with 217,436 shares clearing the market, Lasco Manufacturing shed 6 cents to end at $5.39 after trading 14,340 stocks, Limners and Bards rallied 16 cents to $3.26 in switching ownership of 54,169 stock units, Lumber Depot fell 9 cents to $3.31, with 201,050 shares clearing the exchange. Mailpac Group fell 6 cents to $3.72 with the swapping of 267,809 shares, Main Event dropped 72 cents to close at $4.70 after exchanging 37,322 units, Medical Disposables slipped 5 cents to $4.85 in an exchange of 15,000 stocks and Stationery and Office Supplies dipped 20 cents to $7.80, with 4,593 units clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.