BUSINESS MONDAY: WIBISCO’s share price increased 22% during first half of year: BSE

THE West India Biscuit Company (WIBISCO) is now the highest priced stock on the Barbados Stock Exchange (BSE).

That’s according to the BSE, which reported on behaviour of share prices during the first half of 2019. The share price of WIBISCO, which is a leading manufacturing firm, increased 22 per cent to end that period at $24.50 from $20 a share at December 2018.

For the first half of 2019 five securities advanced, six declined and five remained unchanged while two did not trade. These performance yardsticks are captured in the Barbados Stock Exchange half-year report on share trading activity on the local market.

These numbers, according to the BSE, compared to eight stocks having advanced in the first half of 2018, seven having declined and three did not trade. One security was delisted.

The BSE revealed that Emera Deposit Receipt was the top advancer for the first half, climbing 27 per cent to 91 per cent from $15.73 on December 31, 2018 to $20.12 at June 30, 2019. Barbados Dairy Industries Limited increased 16.67 per cent to round off the top three companies that saw increased share prices in the first half of this year. Two other securities to increase in price were JMMB Group (2.17 per cent) and Cave Shepherd and Company Limited (1.74 per cent).

Of the six securities experiencing declines in share prices, Barbados Farms Limited (BFL) suffered the largest falloff by 55.88 per cent, the BSE said. BFL’s share price dropped from 68 cents a share at the close of 2018 to 20 cents at June 30, 2019.