A year-end rally meant that six St. Louis companies saw their stock prices rise in 2008, up from the four I highlighted in a previous post. Commerce Bancshares and Esco Technologies eked out gains to join the four solid performers that I highlighted previously. The final leader board:

1. Panera Bread +46%
2. Laclede Group +37%
3. Insituform Technologies +33%
4. Stifel Financial +31%
5. Commerce Bancshares +3%
6. Esco Technologies +3%

Bringing up the rear is the debt-burdened Charter Communications, which had the dubious distinction of wiping out 93 percent of its market value last year. Close behind were KV Pharmaceutical, down 90 percent, and Huttig Building Products, down 87 percent. A stunning total of 10 local companies, in fact, saw their share prices fall by at least 75 percent last year. (The others, from fourth-worst to 10th-worst, were CPI Corp., MEMC Electronic Materials, Zoltek, Furniture Brands, Isle of Capri Casinos, Savvis and Bakers Footwear.