Trading declines

The trading of shares on the Barbados Stock Exchange (BSE) has declined.

As it prepares to let investors trade using their mobile devices from the second quarter of this year, the BSE reported that in 2025 total trading volume and value on the local stock market decreased by 76 per cent and 49 per cent respectively.

A 12 per cent increase in the average share price, from $5.53 in 2024 to $6.18 at the close of 2025, was not enough to stall the decrease in value.

In its Market Activity Report for 2025, the BSE said that 2 989 262 shares were traded in 2025 for a market value of $5.78 million. This was down from the 12 545 454 shares traded in 2024 for $11.28 million.

“There was an eight per cent decrease in the total number of trades occurring in 2025 when compared to 2024. There were 518 trades in 2025 as compared to 566 trades in 2024,” it stated.

To make it easier for investors to trade, the BSE announced that it would be improving direct market access through the introduction of a new mobile trading application.

“While the platform will continue to require investors – both existing and prospective – to maintain a formal relationship with a registered broker of the BSE, it will enable greater investor engagement by allowing users to place orders and execute trades directly from their mobile devices,”
it explained.

“The mobile application is currently operational and undergoing testing in collaboration with brokerages, with a targeted rollout scheduled for quarter two 2026.”

The BSE also said that it would expanding investor awareness through an enhanced and broader social media presence, reinforcing the message that participation in investing is accessible at any point in one’s financial journey.”

Several listed entities recorded share price increases while others suffered declines.

“Emera Deposit Receipt recorded the greatest share price appreciation for 2025, climbing
31.57 per cent from $18.50 at the close of 2024 to $24.34 at the close of 2025,” BSE reported.

“Cave Shepherd and Company Limited (30.67 per cent), West India Biscuit Company Limited (9.38 per cent), CIBC Caribbean Bank Limited (3.00 per cent) and Insurance Corporation of Barbados Limited (1.03 per cent) were the four remaining securities to experience share price appreciation over their corresponding positions at the close of 2024.”

It added: “Three companies experienced declines of more than ten per cent in 2025. Barbados Farms Limited, BICO Limited and Goddard Enterprises Limited declined by 46.67 per cent, 19.35 per cent and 18.64 per cent respectively.

“Eppley Caribbean Property Fund SCC – Value Fund (3.85 per cent) and One Caribbean Media Limited (1.97 per cent) were the remaining two securities to suffer declines by the end of 2025.”

Goddard Enterprises Limited (GEL), CIBC Caribbean Bank Limited and Eppley Caribbean Property Fund SCC – Value Fund were the top three performers in terms of volume traded, accounting for 27 per cent, 20 per cent and 18 per cent of the total volume traded.

In terms of value traded, GEL (40 per cent), CIBC Caribbean Bank Limited (21 per cent), and Banks Holdings Limited (17 per cent) were the top three performers in 2025.

The report said that at December 31, two Government of Barbados Series Bonds (Series B and Series I) traded on the board of the BSE.

“There were seven trades occurring on the bond market resulting in a face value of $41.05 million trading in 2025 as compared to 42 trades occurring on the bond market resulting in a face value of  $547.25 million trading as of December 31, 2024,” it outlined.

There was no trading on the International Securities Market (ISM) during the year. At December 31, there were seven securities listed on the board of the ISM, with total market capitalisation of US$136.51 million.

The BSE said market performance for 2025 on the BSE was not as challenging as the reported
data suggests.

“The replacement of unprecedented trading data – attributed to Eppley’s Caribbean Property Fund SCC – Value Fund – in the third quarter of 2024 with instead a figure derived from the average of the trading data from quarters one, two and four would show only a nominal decrease in value traded (6.61 per cent) and shares traded (18.82 per cent),” it stated. “It should be noted, however, that the
12 per cent increase in average share price and the improvement in the advance/decline ratio – despite adverse local and international market conditions – shows there is notable resilience within the investing public.”

It expects that this year “regular market performance [will] mirror that of 2025 but with greater share price appreciation to improve overall trading value activity”.

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