Winning Junior Market stocks top losers

Rising stocks were in the ascendency at the close of trading on the Junior Market of the Jamaica Stock Exchange Monday, with trading in 43 securities up from 39 on Friday, ending with prices of 16 rising, 12 declining and 15 closing unchanged, with the activity moving the market index marginally higher at the close following a 90 percent rise in the volume of stocks traded, valued 167 percent more than Friday.
Trading ended with 8,027,745 shares traded for $21,682,237 compared with 4,230,099 stock units at $8,122,644 on Friday.
Trading averaged 186,692 shares at $504,238 compared to 108,464 units at $208,273 on Friday and trading  for the month to date, averages 163,019 stock units at $346,929 compared to 161,282 stocks at $335,386 on the previous trading day and December that ended with an average of 466,866 units at $1,111,272.
Express Catering led trading with 3.37 million shares for 42 percent of total volume followed by JFP Ltd with 1.43 million stocks for 17.8 percent of the day’s trade and Dolla Financial with 1.05 million units for 13.1 percent of the day’s trade.
At the close, the Junior Market Index gained 7.42 points to end at 3,737.00, down 2.9 percent for the year so far.
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 four stocks ended with bids higher than their last selling prices and three with lower offers.
At the close, Blue Power rose 20 cents to end at $3.15 in an exchange of 100 units, Caribbean Flavours added 10 cents in closing at $1.70 with investors transferring 80,000 stocks, Dolla Financial dropped 11 cents to $2.60 with 1,053,076 shares clearing the market. Dolphin Cove fell 50 cents and ended at $19 after a transfer of 37 stock units, EduFocal popped 12 cents to close at $1.49 with investors trading 132,596 shares, Express Catering increased 36 cents to $3.97 with an exchange of 3,374,968 stock units after the price hit a 52 weeks’ intraday low of $3.51. Fontana declined 19 cents in closing at $10.30 with 8,847 units crossing the market, Jetcon Corporation gained 8 cents and ended at 91 cents while exchanging 464 stocks, KLE Group rallied 45 cents to end at $2.30 with traders dealing in 118,337 units. Knutsford Express advanced 39 cents to close at $12.39 in an exchange of 2,730 stocks, Lasco Distributors rose 15 cents to $4 with investors swapping just 475 shares, Limners and Bards traded at 52 weeks low of $1.29 after the price slipped 2 cents with 191,035 shares changing hands and Spur Tree Spices advanced 7 cents and ended at $2.41 after 4,150 stock units passed through the market.
Prices of securities trading are those for the last transaction of each stock unless otherwise stated.