Williamson Tea Kenya Shares closed at KSh 302.00 when trading at the Nairobi Securities Exchange(NSE) ended this Monday, a 0.3% gain despite a book closure that was occasioned by a bonus share issue. The counter saw a volume of 6,282 shares changing hands in 53 deals with a gross turnover of KSh 1.9million.
Williamson Tea shares closed at KSh 325.75 on October 9th compared to KSh 334.50e on Monday, October 6th 2025.
While the share price of the tea firm was expected to fall after a bonus share book closure, they rallied instead.
According to CFA Dedan Maina, the bonus issues by Williamson Tea and Kapchorua Tea serves to reward shareholders, reignite market activity on their dormant counters and stay visible on the NSE while waiting for the tea export cycle to improve.
Analysts attribute this ‘irregular occurrence’ to a number of sentiment and liquidity factors that distorted the ‘expected’ adjustment. A bonus share means same cake but more slices hence total shareholder value stays constant.
Kakuzi Share Moves Market Despite Drop in Profit
Given that both Williamson Tea and Kapchorua Tea Counters are notoriously illiquid, the closure of the bonus register resulted in very few sellers. Post-closure, those shares are temporarily locked until allotment and listing of the new ones. “So demand remained but supply evaporated and that imbalance created the Williamson Tea share price spike,” said Maina.
Williamson Tea has tea farms in Kaimosi, Kapchorua, Tinderet and Changoi. The company also engages in property investment activities and the sale and servicing of generators through its subsidiaries.
The two listed firms have issued bonus shares to shareholders despite experiencing a decline in profits.
Williamson Tea Financials
Williamson Tea reported a net loss of KSh 166 million in the 2024/25 financial year while Kapchorua saw its net earnings decline significantly.
This subdued performance of Williamson Tea and Kapchorua Tea Plc is attributed to depressed global tea prices, high operating costs and a strong Kenya Shilling against the US Dollar, which has cut its export earnings.
Both firms, however, paid dividends at KSh 10 per share for Williamson and KSh 25 per share for Kapchorua, despite the subdued financial performance by both firms.
The game plan for the two listed tea firms, according to market watchers, appears to use their reserves to reward shareholders and maintain investor goodwill in the face of tough earnings prospects.
The idea is also to improve share liquidity and accessibility by lowering the par value price via bonus shares so that more retail investors can afford to participate. This helps to maintain market demand and interest.
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