Friday, May 11, 2012

Pennsylvania Corporate 2011 Annual Earnings More Than Double From 2009 Under Obama

I found a huge number of Corporations…..70….. headquartered in Pennsylvania, which file with the SEC, and which had Pretax Income or Pretax Loss of more than $100 mil in any of the most recent three fiscal years.

These 70 Pennsylvania Corps generated Total Pretax Earnings in 2011 of $41.2 bil, up a very robust 23% over 2010, and up an even more impressive 126% over 2009. 

In deriving Pretax Income, I start with Pretax Income under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and then exclude several clearly unusual very large items relative to Pretax Income, such as Asset Impairments, Gains and Losses on both Debt Retirements and Asset Dispositions, and Special Litigation Charges and Gains.

Pennsylvania citizens should be extremely proud of the operating performance in the most recent two years of their superb Pennsylvania Corporations. 

Clearly, the Obama Administration has created an economic environment that has permitted these Pennsylvania Corporations to flat-out flourish. 

Pennsylvania is very fortunate to have Bob Casey in the US Senate looking out for its interests.  Casey and the following seven excellent members in the US House…..Allyson Schwartz, Jason Altmire, Robert Brady, Mark Critz, Mike Doyle, Chaka Fattah, and Tim Holden…..have all been strong advocates for Pennsylvania businesses of all sizes, and played key roles in fostering this exceptional earnings growth of these Pennsylvania Corporations.

And the legendary former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell also was a major contributor to the success of these fine Pennsylvania companies.

With this extremely high 126% Pretax Earnings growth of these Pennsylvania Corps in the most recent two years, which includes very solid Pretax Earnings growth of 23% in 2011 over 2010, there is no way that this robust 23% total earnings growth in 2011 will continue in 2012. 

And this total earnings growth has massively decelerated in the 1Q of 2012 to a meager 1%, with Total Pretax Income going from $10,628 mil in the 1Q 2011 to $10,780 mil in the 1Q 2012.

I think the only way to ensure that these fine Pennsylvania Corps, especially its many superb manufacturing companies, will generate total earnings growth for the remainder of 2012 of at least 15%, and at the same time, also result in very robust US job creation, is for the US Congress to immediately pass the following economic initiatives:

  • Extend the 100% first-year tax expensing of equipment and computer software investments made in the remainder of 2012.  The CBO-scored cost should not be very significant.
  • Substantially accelerate first-year tax depreciation on all new building and building remodeling investments made in the remainder of 2012, and rein in its CBO-scored cost, by lowering tax depreciation in years 2 through 10.
  • Pass the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit for businesses for all 2012 expenditures, but substantially enhance it, especially for smaller businesses, and simplify it.
  • Give small businesses, creating US jobs in 2012, a 10% tax credit.
  • Give businesses a 20% income tax credit for the expenses of moving operations from overseas back to the US.  And pay for this by removing income tax deductions businesses now get for moving their production from the US to overseas.  This one's pretty cool, where the pay-for is also positive to the US job count.
  • Permit US taxpayers, who have their mortgage loans financed by either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, to have their mortgages refinanced at the current lower prevailing market interest rates.  
  • Pass the substantial amount of school construction infrastructure fix ups for K-12 Schools and for Community Colleges, which is in the American Jobs Act (AJA).  And all of these school investments should occur in 2012, and mostly from now through the end of the summer of 2012.

The above first two will result in explosive US economic stimulation, particularly when viewed in light of future business income tax reform, which should result in a much lower business income tax rate in 2013 and going forward.

Thus, businesses will get both the 100% first-year tax depreciation on equipment purchases and the substantially accelerated first-year tax deprecation on building investments in 2012 at a business income tax rate reduction which is much higher in 2012, and then the future earnings from these equipment and building investments will generate post 2012 earnings streams from these investments which are taxed at a much lower post tax reform business income tax rate.  Wow, now that is bold economic stimulation.

This above bold economic stimulation effectively works like a back-door, stealth investment tax credit in 2012, due to the expected future reduction in business income tax rates starting in 2013 under any reasonable business tax reform. 

The investment tax credit was used first by President Jack Kennedy in the early 1960s to get the US out of a deep recession.  And President Lyndon Johnson also used it after he took over.  The end result was US real GDP growth which averaged 4.85% from 1960 to 1968.  And the US unemployment rate dropped substantially while this investment tax credit was in effect during the 1960s

This kind of very robust US real GDP growth, markedly north of 4%, and for an extended period of time, is precisely what the US economy now needs.  And this very strong GDP growth is by far the best way to substantially reduce the massive US Deficit.  

But these explosive economic benefits to US businesses from this accelerated first-year tax depreciation does not necessarily mean that there will be resultant substantial US job creation from it.

Thus, I would make sure that the largest of the US Corps…..say the top 50 or so…..would get these first-year accelerated tax depreciation benefits in 2012 only if they add a sufficient number of US full-time workers in 2012.

And similar economic benefits will result from the Research and Experimentation Expenditures.  Not only will businesses get higher Research Tax Credits in 2012 for making investments in 2012, but they will also get 2012 tax deductions from these Research investments made in 2012 at the higher business income tax rate in 2012, and then subsequently get the future earnings stream from these Research investments taxed at the lower post tax reform business income tax rate that will be applicable starting in 2013 and going forward.

Below here is the Pennsylvania headquarters location of each of these 70 Pennsylvania Corporations.  There are two of these Corps, Ace Ltd and TE Connectivity, which are Swiss Corporations, but with their CPA firm being located in Philadelphia. 

Pennsylvania Corporation Pennsylvania HQs


Comcast Philadelphia
PNC Financial Pittsburgh
ACE Ltd Philadelphia
Air Products & Chemicals Allentown
TE Connectivity Philadelphia
PPG Industries Pittsburgh
Santander Holdings US Wyomissing
HJ Heinz Pittsburgh
Lincoln National Radnor
AmeriSource Bergen Chesterbrook
Alcoa Pittsburgh
Hershey Hershey
CONSOL Energy Canonsburg
Mylan Inc Canonsburg
Universal Health Services King of Prussia
Crown Holdings Philadelphia
FMC Philadelphia
Ametek Berwyn
EQT Pittsburgh
Endo Pharmaceuticals Chadds Ford
Airgas Radnor
Dick's Sporting Goods Coraopolis
Penn National Gaming Wyomissing
Gardner Denver Wayne
Radian Group Philadelphia
Education Management Pittsburgh
Erie Indemnity Erie
Sunoco Logistics Partners Philadelphia
Allegheny Technologies Pittsburgh
Vishay Intertechnology Malvern
SEI Investments Oaks
Kennametal Latrobe
Urban Outfitters Philadelphia
Wesco Intl Pittsburgh
Ansys Canonsburg
Dentsply York
Westinghouse Air Brake Wilmerding
Federated Investors Pittsburgh
American Eagle Outfitters Pittsburgh
Triumph Group Berwyn
Select Medical Mechanicsburg
Viropharma Exton
GNC Holdings Pittsburgh
Sunoco Philadelphia
Unisys Blue Bell
Fulton Financial Lancaster
Armstrong World Industries Lancaster
Amerigas Partners Valley Forge
Teleflex Limerick
Kulicke & Soffa Philadelphia
EnerSys Reading
Liberty Property Trust Malvern
InterDigital King of Prussia
Aramark Philadelphia
FNB Corp Hermitage
Weis Markets Sunbury
Natl Penn Bancshares Boyertown
Matthews Intl Pittsburgh
Mine Safety Appliances Pittsburgh
II-VI Inc Saxonburg
Harsco Camp Hill
United States Steel Pittsburgh
Harleysville Group Harleysville
Toll Brothers Horsham
SunGard Data Systems Wayne
Rite Aid Camp Hill

ING USA Annuity & Life Insurance West Chester
DFC Global Berwyn
United Refining Warren
EME Homer City Generation LP Homer City

And below here is the Pretax Income (PTI) or Pretax Loss (PTL) of these 70 Pennsylvania Corps for each of the most recent three years, with the most recent fiscal year ends ranging from March 2011 to February 2012.






Obama





Bump




PTI(L) PTI(L)

1 Year 2 Year

PTI(L) PTI(L) PTI(L) % %

2011 2010 2009 Change Change
mils $s mils $s mils $s

Pennsylvania




Comcast 8,207 6,104 5,106 34% 61%
PNC Financial 4,069 4,061 2,149 0% 89%
ACE Ltd 2,091 3,667 3,077 -43% -32%
Air Products & Chemicals 1,661 1,394 837 19% 98%
TE Connectivity Ltd 1,629 1,558 (123) 5% 1424%
PPG Industries 1,597 1,295 617 23% 159%
Santander Holdings US 1,523 1,019 (1,123) 49% 236%
HJ Heinz 1,374 1,290 1,320 7% 4%
Lincoln National 1,346 1,234 209 9% 544%
AmeriSource Bergen 1,131 1,028 824 10% 37%
Alcoa 1,063 548 (1,498) 94% 171%
Hershey 963 809 671 19% 44%
CONSOL Energy 904 468 788 93% 15%
Mylan Inc 704 483 453 46% 55%
Universal Health Services 696 481 475 45% 47%
Crown Holdings 587 614 459 -4% 28%
FMC 572 432 356 32% 61%
Ametek 557 406 295 37% 89%
EQT 556 355 254 57% 119%
Endo Pharmaceuticals 468 456 336 3% 39%
Airgas 450 355 429 27% 5%
Dick's Sporting Goods 432 298 223 45% 94%
Penn National Gaming 389 230 204 69% 91%
Gardner Denver 387 232 124 67% 212%
Radian Group 369 (1,580) (242) 123% 252%
Education Management 369 297 166 24% 122%
Erie Indemnity 358 999 524 -64% -32%
Sunoco Logistics Partners 347 228 250 52% 39%
Allegheny Technologies 339 126 74 169% 358%
Vishay Intertechnology 331 406 (40) -18% 928%
SEI Investments 318 370 362 -14% -12%
Kennametal 296 77 (12) 284% 2567%
Urban Outfitters 289 417 344 -31% -16%
Wesco Intl 279 158 137 77% 104%
Ansys 265 216 174 23% 52%
Dentsply 256 358 363 -28% -29%
Westinghouse Air Brake 255 187 163 36% 56%
Federated Investors 246 301 327 -18% -25%
American Eagle Outfitters 237 295 304 -20% -22%
Triumph Group 234 126 136 86% 72%
Select Medical 215 124 102 73% 111%
Viropharma 208 201 86 3% 142%
GNC Holdings 208 147 111 41% 87%
Sunoco 207 563 (120) -63% 273%
Unisys 206 223 218 -8% -6%
Fulton Financial 196 173 89 13% 120%
Armstrong World Industries 193 89 93 117% 108%
Amerigas Partners 179 171 190 5% -6%
Teleflex 164 155 164 6% 0%
Kulicke & Soffa 162 140 (77) 16% 310%
EnerSys 151 87 119 74% 27%
Liberty Property Trust 132 125 125 6% 6%
InterDigital 125 238 113 -47% 11%
Aramark 122 33 (24) 270% 608%
FNB Corp 119 103 50 16% 138%
Weis Markets 118 107 98 10% 20%
Natl Penn Bancshares 113 33 (137) 242% 182%
Matthews Intl 112 110 91 2% 23%
Mine Safety Appliances 105 57 65 84% 62%
II-VI Inc 102 51 46 100% 122%
Harsco 42 20 159 110% -74%
United States Steel 27 (385) (1,845) 107% 101%
Harleysville Group 16 83 116 -81% -86%
Toll Brothers (29) (117) (496) 75% 94%
SunGard Data Systems (143) (219) (175) 35% 18%
Rite Aid (392) (546) (480) -14% 29%






Total all 66 40,802 33,564 18,173 22% 125%

Late Additions


ING USA Annuity & Life Insurance 399 26 (133) 1435% 400%
DFC Global 102 55 66 85% 55%
United Refining (11) (115) 54 90% -120%
EME Homer City Generation LP (75) 38 111 -297% -168%






Grand Total all 70 41,217 33,568 18,271 23% 126%