During this five years and five months period of time from March 6, 2009 through August 18, 2014, Minnesota was blessed with perhaps the strongest US Senator twosome of any US State.....Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar....two equally effective, very bright Democrats.
I found 62 Minnesota 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 August 18, 2014.
These 62 Minnesota Companies had their average equal-company-weighted stock market prices decline by a huge 51% 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 five years and five months since March 6, 2009 through August 18, 2014, when both Minnesota US Senators, including Al Franken, were Democrats, the average stock market prices of these same 62 Minnesota Companies have increased by a spectacular 511%.
Thus in the six years and seven months from December 31, 2007 before the 2008 financial meltdown to the most recent date August 18, 2014, the equally-company-weighted average stock market prices of these same 62 Minnesota Companies have increased by a very impressive 91%...... yeah, they have not just recouped the massive amount they lost with the disastrous 2008 financial meltdown, but also added another 91%.
Below here are the stock market prices of each of these 62 Minnesota Companies on August 18, 2014, on March 6, 2009, and on December 31, 2007, along with the related Stock Market Price Percentage Changes:
| Market | Market | Market | ||||||
| Price | Price | Price | ||||||
| % | % | % | ||||||
| Change | Change | Change | ||||||
| Market | Market | Market | 3-6-09 | 12-31-07 | 12-31-07 | |||
| Price | Price | Price | to | to | to | |||
| Minnesota Company | HQs | 8-18-14 | 3-6-09 | 12-31-07 | 8-18-14 | 3-6-09 | 8-18-14 | |
| $s | $s | $s | ||||||
| FRANKEN & | ||||||||
| KLOBUCHAR | ||||||||
| Select Comfort | Minneapolis | MN | 21.87 | 0.20 | 7.01 | 10830% | -97% | 212% |
| Polaris Industries | Medina | MN | 150.23 | 7.59 | 23.89 | 1881% | -68% | 529% |
| Arctic Cat | Plymouth | MN | 37.94 | 2.43 | 11.94 | 1461% | -80% | 218% |
| ValueVision Media | Eden Prairie | MN | 4.96 | 0.35 | 6.29 | 1317% | -94% | -21% |
| Stratasys Ltd | Eden Prairie | MN | 110.62 | 8.18 | 25.84 | 1252% | -68% | 328% |
| Famous Dave's of America | Minnetonka | MN | 25.99 | 2.00 | 13.56 | 1200% | -85% | 92% |
| Clearfield | Plymouth | MN | 13.60 | 1.12 | 1.01 | 1114% | 11% | 1247% |
| Deluxe Corp | Shoreview | MN | 58.36 | 6.47 | 32.89 | 802% | -80% | 77% |
| Tennant Co | Minneapolis | MN | 73.43 | 8.23 | 44.29 | 792% | -81% | 66% |
| Ameriprise Financial | Minneapolis | MN | 121.55 | 14.20 | 55.11 | 756% | -74% | 121% |
| Winmark | Minneapolis | MN | 68.96 | 9.02 | 21.00 | 665% | -57% | 228% |
| Northern Oil and Gas | Wayzata | MN | 16.17 | 2.22 | 6.95 | 628% | -68% | 133% |
| Toro | Bloomington | MN | 61.74 | 10.57 | 27.22 | 484% | -61% | 127% |
| BioScrip | Minnetonka | MN | 8.15 | 1.48 | 7.73 | 451% | -81% | 5% |
| Life Time Fitness | Chanhassen | MN | 41.00 | 7.50 | 49.68 | 447% | -85% | -17% |
| Graco | Minneapolis | MN | 76.50 | 14.48 | 37.26 | 428% | -61% | 105% |
| Valspar | Minneapolis | MN | 80.36 | 15.76 | 22.54 | 410% | -30% | 257% |
| Buffalo Wild Wings | Minneapolis | MN | 144.44 | 30.05 | 23.22 | 381% | 29% | 522% |
| US Bancorp | Minneapolis | MN | 41.72 | 8.82 | 31.74 | 373% | -72% | 31% |
| UnitedHealth Group | Minnetonka | MN | 82.34 | 17.90 | 58.20 | 360% | -69% | 41% |
| Vascular Solutions | Minneapolis | MN | 24.67 | 5.40 | 6.50 | 357% | -17% | 280% |
| Datalink | Eden Prairie | MN | 11.91 | 2.61 | 3.69 | 356% | -29% | 223% |
| HB Fuller | St Paul | MN | 45.60 | 10.29 | 22.45 | 343% | -54% | 103% |
| Apogee Enterprises | Minneapolis | MN | 34.92 | 8.89 | 17.11 | 293% | -48% | 104% |
| Pentair plc | Minneapolis | MN | 69.39 | 17.95 | 34.81 | 287% | -48% | 99% |
| Ecolab | St Paul | MN | 113.40 | 29.90 | 51.21 | 279% | -42% | 121% |
| Donaldson Co | Minneapolis | MN | 40.36 | 11.31 | 23.19 | 257% | -51% | 74% |
| G&K Services Inc | Minnetonka | MN | 55.89 | 15.77 | 37.52 | 254% | -58% | 49% |
| Cardiovascular Systems | St Paul | MN | 29.64 | 8.51 | 31.00 | 248% | -73% | -4% |
| 3M | St Paul | MN | 144.12 | 41.83 | 84.32 | 245% | -50% | 71% |
| Enventis | Mankato | MN | 17.32 | 5.10 | 9.32 | 240% | -45% | 86% |
| Fastenal | Winona | MN | 44.72 | 13.19 | 20.21 | 239% | -35% | 121% |
| MTS Systems | Eden Prairie | MN | 71.90 | 21.67 | 38.62 | 232% | -44% | 86% |
| Hormel Foods | Austin | MN | 47.43 | 15.18 | 20.24 | 212% | -25% | 134% |
| Piper Jaffray | Minneapolis | MN | 53.88 | 19.30 | 46.32 | 179% | -58% | 16% |
| Hawkins Inc | Roseville | MN | 36.00 | 12.95 | 15.00 | 178% | -14% | 140% |
| Christopher & Banks | Plymouth | MN | 9.53 | 3.51 | 11.45 | 172% | -69% | -17% |
| Medtronic | Minneapolis | MN | 63.47 | 24.92 | 50.27 | 155% | -50% | 26% |
| NVE Corp | Eden Prairie | MN | 69.24 | 28.98 | 24.60 | 139% | 18% | 181% |
| Patterson | St Paul | MN | 39.52 | 16.55 | 33.95 | 139% | -51% | 16% |
| Target | Minneapolis | MN | 58.55 | 25.65 | 50.00 | 128% | -49% | 17% |
| Lakes Entertainment | Minnetonka | MN | 4.25 | 1.90 | 6.62 | 124% | -71% | -36% |
| General Mills | Minneapolis | MN | 52.99 | 25.48 | 28.50 | 108% | -11% | 86% |
| Techne | Minneapolis | MN | 96.60 | 46.98 | 66.05 | 106% | -29% | 46% |
| St Jude Medical | Saint Paul | MN | 64.16 | 32.37 | 40.64 | 98% | -20% | 58% |
| Polymet Mining | Hoyt Lakes | MN | 1.21 | 0.65 | 3.24 | 86% | -80% | -63% |
| OneBeacon Group Ltd | Minnetonka | MN | 16.41 | 9.00 | 21.50 | 82% | -58% | -24% |
| CH Robinson Worldwide | Eden Prairie | MN | 68.15 | 38.06 | 54.12 | 79% | -30% | 26% |
| TCF Financial | Wayzata | MN | 15.58 | 9.00 | 17.93 | 73% | -50% | -13% |
| Capella Education | Minneapolis | MN | 68.22 | 46.74 | 65.46 | 46% | -29% | 4% |
| Regis Corp | Minneapolis | MN | 14.43 | 11.20 | 27.96 | 29% | -60% | -48% |
| Digi International | Minnetonka | MN | 8.57 | 6.78 | 14.19 | 26% | -52% | -40% |
| Best Buy | Richfield | MN | 29.91 | 24.71 | 52.65 | 21% | -53% | -43% |
| SurModics | Eden Prairie | MN | 20.27 | 16.87 | 54.27 | 20% | -69% | -63% |
| Two Harbors Investment | Minnetonka | MN | 10.53 | 8.77 | 8.38 | 20% | 5% | 26% |
| Mosaic | Plymouth | MN | 46.99 | 39.16 | 94.34 | 20% | -58% | -50% |
| Qumu Corp | Minneapolis | MN | 13.62 | 12.11 | 25.95 | 12% | -53% | -48% |
| SUPERVALU | Eden Prairie | MN | 9.51 | 14.36 | 37.52 | -34% | -62% | -75% |
| ANI Pharmaceutics | Baudette | MN | 29.20 | 46.44 | 136.08 | -37% | -66% | -79% |
| Digital River | Minnetonka | MN | 15.37 | 25.53 | 33.07 | -40% | -23% | -54% |
| Imation | Oakdale | MN | 3.22 | 7.08 | 21.00 | -55% | -66% | -85% |
| EnteroMedics | St Paul | MN | 1.48 | 7.80 | 48.30 | -81% | -84% | -97% |
| Average % Change all 62 | 511% | -51% | 91% |
It should be pointed out that the above 511% average stock market price appreciation excludes two Minnesota Companies which were sold prior to 2014 and which had off-the-charts stock market price appreciation from March 6, 2009 to their sale dates.....Chaska-based FSII International up 2,604% and Brooklyn Center-based Caribou Coffee up 932%.
Also excluded from the above were two Minnesota Companies filing Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) since 2009 which have generated off-the-charts stock market price appreciation from their Initial Offering Prices.....Maple Plain-based Proto Labs, a Machine Tools & Accessories Company, whose stock market price is up 385% in only 30 months and Minneapolis-based SPC Commerce, an Application Software Company, whose stock market price is up 351% from its Initial Offering Price in April 2010.
In like manner on the employment front, from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Minnesota's State unemployment rate increased from 4.8% in December 2007 to 7.8% in October 2009, which was the very lowest point for the US Labor Market due to the lagging spillover effects resulting from the disastrous 2008 Financial Meltdown. But in the four years and eight months since then, when both Democratic Minnesota US Senators, including Al Franken, were in office, the Minnesota State unemployment rate has declined sharply from 7.8% in October 2009 to 4.5% in the most recently reported June 2014.
Minnesota Citizens must be extremely pleased with both the outstanding performance of nearly all of their Minnesota Companies as well as with the substantial drop in the Minnesota Unemployment Rate, both occurring during the most recent roughly five years when Democrats Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar were serving in the US Senate very effectively for the interests of their Minnesota constituents.
