In this past recent post, I also found that these 49 Largest Wisconsin Corps filing with the SEC had Audited under US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (US GAAP) Total After-tax Net Income of $6.9 bil in the most recent fiscal year 2011, which was a profit improvement of $4.1 bil, or an increase of 149%, as compared with the $2.8 bil of After-tax Net Income generated by these same 49 Wisconsin companies just three years earlier in 2008, the last year of the Bush/Cheney Administration.
Wisconsin Corp 2011 Earnings
Since corporate earnings drive stock prices, in this post I turn my attention to just how well the stock market prices of these Wisconsin Corps have performed since President Obama took office.
Of these 49 Wisconsin Corps, 37 of them had their common stock trading on both January 16, 2009, which is the last day stocks traded before President Obama took office, and also on yesterday's date, Thursday, October 11, 2012.
I retrieved all of the below stock market closing price information from the excellent Big Charts.com website.
These 37 Wisconsin Corps had an average stock market price increase of a robust 84% since President Obama took office on January 20, 2009. This is bit better than both the increase in the Dow Industrials Index of 61% and the 69% increase in the S&P 500 Index, both over the same time span.
The Wisconsin Corps average stock market price increase of 84% is a bit lower than that of the other 9 US Battleground States.
I think that one reason for these Wisconsin Corps having a lower average stock market price increase than that of the other 9 US Battleground States is the distraction from the intense political turmoil so prevalent in Wisconsin over the past two years. Once this turmoil is dissipated, I think you'll see the average stock prices of these Wisconsin Corps reverting back closer to the mean of these other 9 US Battleground States.
But you know what, an 84% average stock market price increase during just the past 3 3/4 year is still a very nice thing to have.
Wisconsin citizens have to be extremely happy with the stock market performance of their many fine Wisconsin companies during the Obama Administration.
And Wisconsin citizens also must be very pleased with how the Obama Administration worked so hard and very effectively on so many fronts to create a US economic environment that permitted these Wisconsin companies to flat out flourish. This highly successful effort created a robust US economic environment which was quite a change from what existed in the just horrible financial meltdown, near Depression year of 2008.
When I think of the Obama Administration, the thought that comes top of mind is whole-scale competence. But frankly, it's also pretty clear to me that the Obama Administration is just not very good at selling its many accomplishments, particularly on the economic front.
Below here are the common stock market closing prices of each of these 37 Wisconsin companies at both the most recent date, and also at the date just before President Obama took office, as well as the percentage stock market price changes for this period of time.
| Market | Market | Percentage | ||
| Wisconsin | Price | Price | Increase | |
| HQs | 10-11-12 | 1-16-09 | (Decrease) | |
| S&P 500 Index | 1,432.84 | 850.12 | 69% | |
| Dow Industrials Index | 13,326.39 | 8,281.22 | 61% | |
| Companies Headquartered in Wisconsin | ||||
| Exact Sciences | Madison | $11.60 | $1.58 | 634% |
| Johnson Outdoors | Racine | $21.35 | $6.41 | 233% |
| Harley Davidson | Milwaukee | $41.79 | $13.70 | 205% |
| AO Smith | Milwaukee | $56.32 | $21.29 | 165% |
| Oshkosh | Oshkosh | $29.90 | $11.39 | 163% |
| Twin Disc | Racine | $17.19 | $6.68 | 157% |
| Journal Communications | Milwaukee | $5.42 | $2.11 | 157% |
| Joy Global | Milwaukee | $58.56 | $23.17 | 153% |
| Rockwell Automation | Milwaukee | $69.30 | $28.57 | 143% |
| First Business Financial Services | Madison | $24.60 | $11.00 | 124% |
| Fiserv | Brookfield | $73.50 | $33.51 | 119% |
| Snap-On | Kenosha | $71.84 | $35.81 | 101% |
| Regal Beloit | Beloit | $67.57 | $34.88 | 94% |
| Manitowoc | Manitowoc | $13.43 | $6.96 | 93% |
| Assisted Living Concepts | Menomonee Falls | $7.69 | $4.01 | 92% |
| Plexus Corp | Neenah | $29.46 | $15.51 | 90% |
| Waterstone Financial | Wauwatosa | $5.29 | $2.82 | 88% |
| Modine Manufacturing | Racine | $7.16 | $3.90 | 84% |
| Johnson Controls | Milwaukee | $26.23 | $16.21 | 62% |
| Actuant | Menomonee Falls | $27.74 | $17.16 | 62% |
| Sensient Technologies | Milwaukee | $36.78 | $24.20 | 52% |
| Badger Meter | Milwaukee | $36.99 | $24.43 | 51% |
| Strattec Security | Milwaukee | $21.94 | $15.05 | 46% |
| Brady | Milwaukee | $30.31 | $21.31 | 42% |
| Bemis | Neenah | $31.73 | $23.34 | 36% |
| Kohls | Menomonee Falls | $51.16 | $38.15 | 34% |
| Briggs & Stratton | Wauwatosa | $18.58 | $15.12 | 23% |
| Manpower | Milwaukee | $35.89 | $30.68 | 17% |
| National Presto Industries | Eau Claire | $81.72 | $73.30 | 11% |
| Marten Transport | Mondovi | $17.73 | $16.51 | 7% |
| Marcus | Milwaukee | $11.06 | $11.96 | -8% |
| Weyco Group | Glendale | $24.99 | $28.94 | -14% |
| Associated Banc-Corp | Green Bay | $13.21 | $15.89 | -17% |
| Wausau Paper | Mosinee | $8.66 | $10.53 | -18% |
| MGIC Investment | Milwaukee | $1.66 | $2.80 | -41% |
| Bank Mutual | Brown Deer | $4.48 | $10.18 | -56% |
| School Specialty | Greenville | $2.07 | $17.78 | -88% |
| Average Increase: all 37 Wisconsin Corps | 84% | |||
| S&P 500 Index | 1,432.84 | 850.12 | 69% | |
| Dow Industrials Index | 13,326.39 | 8,281.22 | 61% |
Exact Sciences was a late addition, moving up the previous average stock price increase for Wisconsin Corps from 68% to 84%.
So that's all 10 clearly US Battleground States. Next let me focus on several US States that are pretty close to being Battleground States.
