Market volatility continued into April due to COVID-19, high unemployment numbers and troubling economic data. 

Twelve of 19 Iowa-based companies on the Business Record’s Iowa Index posted stock price gains for the month. Ten of those companies saw double-digit gains. Seven of the 19 posted stock price losses, of which three were double-digit losses.

Winnebago Industries Inc. had the largest gain of the month with a 59.55% increase. Winnebago outlined a timetable for resuming production lines after they had temporarily suspended operations due to COVID-19 on March 23. KemPharm Inc. had the second-highest gain with a 30.43% increase. Meredith Corp. had the third-highest with a 21.36% increase. 

The three companies that posted the biggest percentage losses were FBL Financial Group at 16.26%, Flexsteel Industries Inc.at 12.41% and United Fire Group Inc. at 12.30%.

Flexsteel recently announced that it will permanently close its Dubuque manufacturing facility. The closure will result in the loss of 213 jobs, including about 150 manufacturing jobs.

The Iowa Index, an unweighted average price of 19 Iowa-based public companies, increased 9.87% in April — compared with a 15.45% increase in the Nasdaq stock index and an 11.08% increase in the Dow Jones industrial average. 

The Iowa-based companies that make up the Iowa Index are in bold in this list of companies with sizable operations in the state.

See the full Iowa Index