The Junior Market Index of the Jamaica Stock Exchange just held above Thursday at the close on Friday even as trading ended with 21 rising, 14 declining and seven closing unchanged following trading taking place in 42 securities similar to trading on Thursday, with the volume of stocks traded declining 14 percent and the value 48 percent lower than on Thursday.
Investors traded 9,582,877 shares for $24,717,734 compared to 11,121,210 units at $47,797,567 on Thursday.
Trading averaged 228,164 shares at $588,517, compared to 264,791 shares at $1,138,037 on Thursday with the month to date, averaging 233,694 units at $620,445 compared to 233,989 stock units at $622,153 on the previous day. April closed with an average of 266,661 units at $2,583,503.
Derrimon Trading led trading with 2.42 million shares for 25.3 percent of total volume followed by Fosrich with 1.75 million units for 18.2 percent of the day’s trade and Spur Tree Spices with 613,603 units for 6.4 percent market share.
At the close, the Junior Market Index inched 1.42 points higher to end at 3,750.17.
The PE Ratio, a measure of computing appropriate stock values, averages 10.9. The PE ratios of Junior Market stocks are computed using the last traded 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 eight stocks ending with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Access Financial popped 89 cents to $23 in an exchange of 2,804 shares, Caribbean Assurance Brokers rose 12 cents in closing at $2.50 after 137,053 stock units were traded, Caribbean Cream increased 9 cents and ended at $3.19 while exchanging 85,098 units. Consolidated Bakeries fell 23 cents to close at $2.19 as 25,908 stocks passed through the market, Dolphin Cove climbed 50 cents to $15.50 with an exchange of 19,853 stock units, 
Fontana rallied 42 cents to $9.50 in switching ownership of 126,205 stocks. Fosrich shed 25 cents and ended at $2.71 after investors traded 1,747,851 shares, Indies Pharma advanced 12 cents to $3.03 with investors transferring 71,226 units, Jamaican Teas gained 10 cents to end at $2.18 after a transfer of 414,952 stocks. JFP Ltd climbed 9 cents to $1.72 with shareholders swapping 529,202 stock units, KLE Group gained 12 cents to end at $1.62, with 100 shares crossing the market, Knutsford Express popped 94 cents in closing at $11.29 after an exchange of 11,760 units. Lasco Distributors declined 10 cents and ended at $2.50, with 226,297 stocks changing hands, Main Event rose 27 cents to close at $14.50 in an exchange of 10,372 shares, MFS Capital Partners rallied 13 cents to $3.23 with a transfer of 235,207 units.
Paramount Trading dipped 11 cents in closing at $2.08 after 29,490 stock units crossed the exchange, Stationery and Office Supplies advanced 48 cents to end at $14.98 and closed with an exchange of 677 units and Tropical Battery increased 11 cents to $1.97 with 40,994 stock units clearing the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.
