Friday, May 16, 2014

Iowa Company Average Stock Market Prices Up 415% Under Obama, a Democratic US Senate and a Quantitative Easing US Fed, After Being Down 59% During Financial Meltdown

I found 17 Iowa Headquartered Companies in Yahoo's or Google's superb Finance websites or from SEC filings with current Total Market Capitalizations of at least $100 mil and which also had their common stocks trading on each of the following three dates:

  • On December 31, 2007 during President Bush's second term
  • On March 6, 2009, very early in President Obama's first term, which was the lowest point for the US stock market due to the spillover effects resulting from the 2008 financial meltdown, and 
  • also on the most recent date May 15, 2014.
The historical stock prices of these companies were obtained from the following two excellent internet resources....  Google Finance and MarketWatch Big Charts.

These 17 Iowa Companies had their average stock market prices decline by a massive 59% from December 31, 2007 during President Bush's second Presidential term, to March 6, 2009, very early in President Obama's first term, which was the very lowest point for the overall stock market due to the spillover effects resulting from the disastrous 2008 Financial Meltdown.

But in the slightly more than five years since March 6, 2009, the average stock market prices of these same 17 Iowa Companies have increased by a very impressive 415% through May 15, 2014, led mainly by FBL Financial Group's stock market price being up 16 times and Lee Enterprises's up 13 times, both in the most recent roughly 5 years.

All 17 Iowa Companies experienced stock market price increases in the most recent roughly 5 years.

In similar fashion, from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US unemployment rate doubled from 5.0% in December 2007 to 10.0% in October 2009, early in President Obama's first term which was the very lowest point for the US Labor Market due to the lagging spillover effects resulting from the disastrous 2008 Financial Meltdown.

And then with the US economic stimulating actions of the Obama Administration, supported by both a Democratic controlled US Senate and US House (at the time), taking full effect, coupled with the Quantitative Easing by the US Fed, the US unemployment rate declined sharply from 10.0% in October 2009 to 6.3% in the most recently reported April 2014.

In like manner, Iowa's unemployment rate increased sharply, going from 3.9% in December 2007 to 6.4% in October 2009.  And then with the US economic stimulating actions of the Obama Administration, supported by both a Democratic controlled US Senate and US House (at the time), going full throttle, coupled with the Quantitative Easing by the US Fed, the Iowa State unemployment rate declined sharply, going from 6.4% in October 2009 to 4.3% in the most recently reported April 2014.

Below here are the stock market prices of each of these 17 Iowa Companies on May 15, 2014, on March 6, 2009, and on December 31, 2007, along with the related Stock Market Price Percentage Changes:




Market Market






Price Price






% %






Change Change



Market Market Market 3-6-09 12-31-07



Price Price Price to to
Iowa Company HQs
5-15-14 3-6-09 12-31-07 5-15-14 3-6-09



$s $s $s

FBL Financial Group West Des Moines IA       43.06      2.55    34.53 1589% -93%
Lee Enterprises Davenport IA         4.00      0.29    14.65 1279% -98%
Principal Financial Group Des Moines IA       45.25      6.08    68.84 644% -91%
Winnebago Industries Forest City IA       23.13      3.23    21.02 616% -85%
American Equity Investment Life West Des Moines IA       21.48      3.19      8.29 573% -62%
Flexsteel Dubuque IA       32.72      5.17    12.00 533% -57%
HNI Corp Muscatine IA       35.49      8.16    35.06 335% -77%
Meredith Corp Des Moines IA       44.17    11.28    54.98 292% -79%
Casey's General Stores Ankeny IA       67.03    18.81    29.61 256% -36%
MidWest One Financial Group Iowa City IA       23.05      7.00    16.99 229% -59%
Rockwell Collins Cedar Rapids IA       77.52    28.35    71.97 173% -61%
Heartland Financial USA Dubuque IA       23.44      8.84    18.57 165% -52%
West Bancorporation West Des Moines IA       13.75      5.64    13.04 144% -57%
EMC Insurance Group Des Moines IA       33.12    19.03    23.67 74% -20%
Heartland Express North Liberty IA       20.20    12.19    14.18 66% -14%
United Fire Group Cedar Rapids IA       27.39    17.54    29.09 56% -40%
Ames National Corp Ames IA       21.41    15.71    19.50 36% -19%








Average % Change all 17




415% -59%







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