These 70 Minnesota Corps had their average stock prices increase by an off-the-charts 289% from January 16, 2009 to August 28, 2013. This 289% increase is 3.1 times the 92% increase in the S&P 500 Index over the same time span.
Minnesota has a favorable environment for businesses. And when you couple that with exceptional US Senators, US House members, State Governor and State legislators, you wind up with exceptional stock price appreciation for Minnesota companies.
There is not a brighter US Senator than Al Franken. And Amy Klobuchar is very savvy and works well across the aisle. Hillary Clinton is the clear favorite to be the Democratic Presidential candidate in 2016, but if she decides not to run, I think that Klobuchar would be one of a handful of excellent women candidates for President.
And no one in the US Congress works as hard for Minnesota citizens and businesses of all sizes than Keith Ellison.
Below here are the common stock market closing prices of each of these 70 Minnesota Corps at both the most recent date (August 28, 2013) and also at the date just before President Obama took office in his first term (Jan 16, 2009), as well as the percentage stock market price changes for this period of time:
| Market | Market | Percentage | ||
| Minnesota | Price | Price | Increase | |
| HQs | 8-28-13 | 1-16-09 | (Decrease) | |
| Minnesota Corps | ||||
| Select Comfort | Minneapolis | $24.27 | $0.33 | 7255% |
| FSI International | Chaska | $6.22 | $0.39 | 1495% |
| Arctic Cat | Plymouth | $54.02 | $5.00 | 980% |
| Caribou Coffee | Brooklyn Center | $15.99 | $1.51 | 956% |
| Valuevision Media | Eden Prairie | $4.79 | $0.47 | 919% |
| Polaris Industries | Medina | $110.79 | $11.90 | 831% |
| Stratasys | Eden Prairie | $104.88 | $12.70 | 726% |
| Navarre | New Hope | $3.39 | $0.52 | 552% |
| Winmark Corp | Minneapolis | $72.70 | $11.24 | 547% |
| Northern Oil & Gas | Wayzata | $13.07 | $2.93 | 346% |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Minneapolis | $105.12 | $24.53 | 329% |
| Ameriprise Financial | Minneapolis | $86.14 | $21.31 | 304% |
| Datalink | Chanhassen | $12.79 | $3.24 | 295% |
| Tennant Co | Minneapolis | $52.40 | $15.51 | 238% |
| Valspar | Minneapolis | $63.43 | $19.15 | 231% |
| Fair Isaac | Minneapolis | $50.85 | $15.79 | 222% |
| Toro | Bloomington | $52.73 | $16.53 | 219% |
| Deluxe | Shoreview | $40.68 | $13.08 | 211% |
| Graco | Minneapolis | $70.62 | $23.75 | 197% |
| UnitedHealth Group | Minneapolis | $71.54 | $25.50 | 181% |
| G&K Services | Minnetonka | $52.84 | $18.90 | 180% |
| Multiband | New Hope | $3.23 | $1.16 | 178% |
| Analysts International | Minneapolis | $6.38 | $2.40 | 166% |
| Fastenal | Winona | $44.04 | $16.58 | 166% |
| HB Fuller | St Paul | $37.13 | $14.02 | 165% |
| Hormel Foods | Austin | $40.93 | $15.68 | 161% |
| Pentair | Golden Valley | $60.58 | $23.75 | 155% |
| Apogee Enterprises | Minneapolis | $27.68 | $10.90 | 154% |
| Ecolab | St Paul | $90.83 | $36.60 | 148% |
| Hawkins Inc | Minneapolis | $37.59 | $15.30 | 146% |
| Cardiovascular Systems | St Paul | $20.50 | $8.50 | 141% |
| MTS Systems | Eden Prairie | $59.94 | $26.27 | 128% |
| Donaldson Co | Minneapolis | $35.60 | $16.05 | 122% |
| NVE Corp | Eden Prairie | $49.96 | $23.51 | 113% |
| Moneygram Intl | Minneapolis | $20.72 | $9.76 | 112% |
| Patterson Companies | St Paul | $39.80 | $19.00 | 109% |
| Enbridge Energy Partners | Duluth | $30.17 | $14.52 | 108% |
| 3M | St Paul | $113.00 | $56.42 | 100% |
| US Bancorp | Minneapolis | $36.11 | $18.32 | 97% |
| Travelers | St Paul | $79.89 | $41.05 | 95% |
| Vascular Solutions | Minneapolis | $16.06 | $8.69 | 85% |
| Target | Minneapolis | $63.27 | $35.02 | 81% |
| HMN Financial | Rochester | $7.48 | $4.25 | 76% |
| Hickory Tech | Mankato | $10.33 | $6.16 | 68% |
| St Jude Medical | St Paul | $50.61 | $30.70 | 65% |
| General Mills | Minneapolis | $48.74 | $30.29 | 61% |
| Medtronic | Minneapolis | $51.56 | $32.72 | 58% |
| Regis Corp | Minneapolis | $16.27 | $11.20 | 45% |
| TCF Financial | Wayzata | $14.21 | $10.48 | 36% |
| Communications Systems | Minnetonka | $11.98 | $8.88 | 35% |
| Lakes Entertainment | Minnetonka | $3.89 | $3.13 | 24% |
| Cyberoptics | Minneapolis | $5.89 | $4.76 | 24% |
| Best Buy | Richfield | $35.81 | $29.34 | 22% |
| CH Robinson | Eden Prairie | $57.47 | $47.24 | 22% |
| Techne | Minneapolis | $77.41 | $63.99 | 21% |
| Digi International | Minnetonka | $9.28 | $7.90 | 17% |
| Mosaic | Plymouth | $41.47 | $35.45 | 17% |
| Alliant Techsystems | Minneapolis | $98.06 | $84.53 | 16% |
| Hutchinson Technology | Hutchinson | $3.52 | $3.16 | 11% |
| Piper Jaffray | Minneapolis | $32.61 | $29.48 | 11% |
| Great Northern Iron Ore Properties | St Paul | $72.88 | $76.39 | -5% |
| Capella Education | Minneapolis | $54.28 | $57.04 | -5% |
| Surmodics | Eden Prairie | $20.18 | $26.05 | -23% |
| Rimage | Edina | $10.54 | $13.62 | -23% |
| Wireless Ronin Technologies | Minnetonka | $0.78 | $1.03 | -24% |
| Digital River | Minnetonka | $17.88 | $24.01 | -26% |
| Nash Finch | South Minneapolis | $24.58 | $43.43 | -43% |
| Dolan Co. | Minneapolis | $2.07 | $4.51 | -54% |
| Supervalu | Eden Prairie | $7.02 | $17.88 | -61% |
| Imation | Oakdale | $4.31 | $12.83 | -66% |
| Average Increase: all 70 Minnesota Corps | 289% | |||
| Dow Industrials Index | 14,824.51 | 8,281.22 | 79% | |
| S&P 500 Index | 1,634.96 | 850.12 | 92% | |
| S&P Mid-Cap 400 Index | 1,196.07 | 516.75 | 131% | |
| S&P SmallCap 600 Index | 576.36 | 247.89 | 133% |
