Year tough for stocks

But sustainable fisheries do well By KIMBERLY CHOU P-I REPORTER Biotech companies and financial institutions have seen their share prices drop in the first half of this year, while a sustainable fishery has come out on top in an index of Washington state's publicly traded companies. Seattle-based HQ Sustainable Maritime Industries shares jumped almost 36 percent since the beginning of this year, closing at $13.25 a share Monday, according to Harris Private Bank. Only 14 other companies on the bank's Harris Washington 100 index saw their share prices grow this year, and some of them -- including Safeco Corp. and Getty Images Inc., both of Seatle -- have buyouts or mergers pending. Aside from Mukilteo's CombiMatrix Corp., which develops DNA technologies and grew 31.8 percent to finish at $9.99 a share, most biotechs fell closer... [read full story]