Thus, as a backdrop for this upcoming speech and continuing a much deserved tribute to Bernanke's key role in helping the US avoid a Deep, Prolonged Financial Depression, I think it would be helpful to update just what has been going on with Stock Market Prices for Companies in each US State since March 6, 2009, the lowest point for the overall US Stock Market resulting from the aftershocks of the horrific late 2008 US Financial Meltdown, through the most recent date March 18, 2015......a roughly six year period of time.
Long-term Audited Earnings From Continuing Operations Under US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) drive Long-Term Changes in Stock Market Prices. These Company Earnings crashed with the late 2008 US Financial Meltdown and thus the linked Stock Market Prices of the related Companies also crashed.
But since the 2008 US Financial Meltdown, these Earnings have been consistently exceptional and thus the Stock Market Prices of the related Companies have also consistently exploded upwardly in the past six years.
This is the dilemma faced by the current US Fed ..... raise US interest rates or continue former US Fed Chair Ben Bernanke's economic policies which have continued to spur Company Earnings and thus also Company Stock Market Prices.
I think the current US Fed should tweak Bernanke's economic policies some to try to more effectively deal with income and wealth inequality, but why in the world would you want to alter them significantly since they have been so incredibly successful?
And the US Congress, and frankly also US Companies, just have to do a much better job addressing income and wealth inequality.
Florida Companies stock market prices have been on absolute fire in the past 4 1/2 months. They experienced very impressive average stock market price growth of 504% for the 6 years since March 6, 2009 through the most recent date March 18, 2015. This average growth since March 6, 2009 was a substantially lower but still impressive 425% only 4 1/2 months ago.
Fifteen of the 90 Florida Companies had more than Ten-Bag stock market price appreciation in the past 6 years.
Only one of the 90 Florida Companies experienced a stock market decline in the past 6 years.
By Larger City Metro Areas, the 13 Tampa-St. Pete Companies had 689% average stock market price appreciation in the past 6 years, the 38 Southeast Florida Companies 617% growth, the 6 Orlando Companies 559% growth, and the 10 Jacksonville Companies 318% growth.
Below here are the 90 Florida Headquartered Companies with Stock Market Caps now above $100 mil and which have had their common stocks trading from December 31, 2007, or early in 2008 for companies first going public then, through the most recent date March 18, 2015, or the date the Companies were sold, if they were sold since the beginning of 2014.
| 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 | |||
| Florida Company | HQs | 3-18-15 | 3-6-09 | 12-31-07 | 3-18-15 | 3-6-09 | 3-18-15 | |
| BFC Financial | Ft Lauderdale | FL | 3.29 | 0.11 | 0.17 | 2891% | -35% | 1835% |
| Marinemax | Clearwater | FL | 26.22 | 1.22 | 15.50 | 2049% | -92% | 69% |
| Ruth's Hospitality Group | Winter Park | FL | 15.16 | 0.74 | 8.94 | 1949% | -92% | 70% |
| Opko Health | Miami | FL | 14.42 | 0.80 | 2.85 | 1703% | -72% | 406% |
| Federated National Holding | Sunrise | FL | 29.11 | 1.72 | 13.44 | 1592% | -87% | 117% |
| HSN Inc | St Petersburg | FL | 67.85 | 4.29 | 10.90 | 1482% | -61% | 522% |
| WellCare Health Plans | Tampa | FL | 93.06 | 6.64 | 42.41 | 1302% | -84% | 119% |
| Office Depot | Boca Raton | FL | 9.28 | 0.68 | 13.91 | 1265% | -95% | -33% |
| B/E Aerospace | Wellington | FL | 63.11 | 4.71 | 38.30 | 1239% | -88% | 65% |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises | Miami | FL | 78.80 | 5.93 | 42.44 | 1229% | -86% | 86% |
| Ultimate Software Group | Weston | FL | 170.14 | 13.19 | 31.47 | 1190% | -58% | 441% |
| Jarden | Boca Raton | FL | 53.23 | 4.28 | 10.49 | 1145% | -59% | 407% |
| Dycom | Palm Beach Gardens | FL | 45.12 | 3.72 | 26.65 | 1113% | -86% | 69% |
| Stein Mart | Jacksonville | FL | 12.24 | 1.08 | 4.74 | 1033% | -77% | 158% |
| ERBA Diagnostics | Miami | FL | 3.57 | 0.32 | 0.49 | 1016% | -35% | 629% |
| PGT Inc | North Venice | FL | 11.01 | 1.05 | 4.76 | 949% | -78% | 131% |
| Hertz Global Holdings | Naples | FL | 21.86 | 2.24 | 15.89 | 876% | -86% | 38% |
| Ladenburg Thalmann Fincl Svcs | Miami | FL | 3.91 | 0.41 | 2.12 | 854% | -81% | 84% |
| Liberator Medical | Stuart | FL | 3.52 | 0.41 | 0.90 | 759% | -54% | 291% |
| Lennar | Miami | FL | 49.72 | 6.08 | 17.89 | 718% | -66% | 178% |
| Nicholas Financial | Clearwater | FL | 14.55 | 1.86 | 6.57 | 681% | -72% | 121% |
| Universal Insurance Holdings | Fort Lauderdale | FL | 25.58 | 3.44 | 7.41 | 644% | -54% | 245% |
| Interval Leisure Group | Miami | FL | 26.75 | 3.67 | 13.20 | 629% | -72% | 103% |
| United Insurance Holdings | St Petersburg | FL | 21.86 | 3.00 | 7.24 | 629% | -59% | 202% |
| Health Management Associates | Naples | FL | 13.31 | 1.86 | 5.98 | 616% | -69% | 123% |
| Jabil Circuit | St Petersburg | FL | 22.65 | 3.26 | 15.27 | 595% | -79% | 48% |
| Superior Uniform Group | Seminole | FL | 18.38 | 2.69 | 4.98 | 583% | -46% | 269% |
| AutoNation | Fort Lauderdale | FL | 62.88 | 9.72 | 15.66 | 547% | -38% | 302% |
| HEICO | Hollywood | FL | 59.94 | 9.40 | 22.32 | 538% | -58% | 169% |
| Neogenomics | Fort Myers | FL | 4.75 | 0.75 | 1.08 | 533% | -31% | 340% |
| Web.com Group | Jacksonville | FL | 17.73 | 2.93 | 11.61 | 505% | -75% | 53% |
| SBA Communications | Boca Raton | FL | 120.74 | 19.99 | 33.84 | 504% | -41% | 257% |
| Tupperware Brands | Orlando | FL | 67.64 | 11.40 | 33.03 | 493% | -65% | 105% |
| Perry Ellis Intl | Miami | FL | 23.11 | 3.94 | 15.38 | 487% | -74% | 50% |
| Sun Hydraulics | Sarasota | FL | 40.11 | 7.18 | 16.82 | 459% | -57% | 138% |
| Quality Distribution | Tampa | FL | 10.68 | 1.94 | 4.44 | 451% | -56% | 141% |
| FARO Technologies | Lake Mary | FL | 60.98 | 11.28 | 27.18 | 441% | -58% | 124% |
| MEDNAX | Sunrise | FL | 72.06 | 13.62 | 34.08 | 429% | -60% | 111% |
| Beasley Broadcast Group | Naples | FL | 5.16 | 1.00 | 5.20 | 416% | -81% | -1% |
| Raymond James Financial | St Petersburg | FL | 58.21 | 11.48 | 32.66 | 407% | -65% | 78% |
| Stonegate Bank | Fort Lauderdale | FL | 29.88 | 6.00 | 11.00 | 398% | -45% | 172% |
| Ryder System | Miami | FL | 96.37 | 19.41 | 47.01 | 396% | -59% | 105% |
| CSX Corp | Jacksonville | FL | 35.06 | 7.20 | 14.66 | 387% | -51% | 139% |
| Roper Industries | Sarasota | FL | 171.01 | 38.11 | 50.24 | 349% | -24% | 240% |
| Chico's FAS | Fort Myers | FL | 18.00 | 4.03 | 9.03 | 347% | -55% | 99% |
| Fidelity National Information Services | Jacksonville | FL | 67.49 | 16.39 | 12.90 | 312% | 27% | 423% |
| Kforce | Tampa | FL | 22.64 | 5.59 | 9.75 | 305% | -43% | 132% |
| Hackett Group | Miami | FL | 8.77 | 2.25 | 4.84 | 290% | -54% | 81% |
| Watsco | Coconut Grove | FL | 122.54 | 31.95 | 36.76 | 284% | -13% | 233% |
| Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners | Coral Gables | FL | 4.76 | 1.25 | 3.45 | 281% | -64% | 38% |
| Elizabeth Arden | Miramar | FL | 16.00 | 4.29 | 20.35 | 273% | -79% | -21% |
| The GEO Group | Boca Raton | FL | 43.11 | 11.75 | 28.00 | 267% | -58% | 54% |
| ACI Worldwide | Naples | FL | 21.09 | 6.00 | 6.35 | 252% | -5% | 232% |
| Tech Data | Clearwater | FL | 57.33 | 16.60 | 37.72 | 245% | -56% | 52% |
| National Retail Properties | Orlando | FL | 41.10 | 12.96 | 23.38 | 217% | -45% | 76% |
| Regency Centers | Jacksonville | FL | 68.07 | 22.02 | 64.49 | 209% | -66% | 6% |
| National Beverage | Ft Lauderdale | FL | 23.63 | 7.77 | 8.04 | 204% | -3% | 194% |
| Citrix Systems | Ft Lauderdale | FL | 62.35 | 21.76 | 38.01 | 187% | -43% | 64% |
| Equity One | North Miami Beach | FL | 27.35 | 9.74 | 23.03 | 181% | -58% | 19% |
| FRP Holdings | Jacksonville | FL | 33.00 | 12.02 | 23.41 | 175% | -49% | 41% |
| Carnival | Miami | FL | 46.72 | 17.30 | 44.49 | 170% | -61% | 5% |
| Darden Restaurants | Orlando | FL | 65.19 | 24.86 | 27.71 | 162% | -10% | 135% |
| Walter Investment Management | Tampa | FL | 16.69 | 6.50 | 19.00 | 157% | -66% | -12% |
| Consolidated Tomoka Land | Daytona Beach | FL | 57.67 | 23.06 | 62.68 | 150% | -63% | -8% |
| Fidelity National Financial | Jacksonville | FL | 37.63 | 15.11 | 14.70 | 149% | 3% | 156% |
| Landstar System | Jacksonville | FL | 69.11 | 27.80 | 42.15 | 149% | -34% | 64% |
| Steiner Leisure | Coral Gables | FL | 47.20 | 19.34 | 44.16 | 144% | -56% | 7% |
| Fresh Del Monte Produce | Coral Gables | FL | 37.11 | 15.49 | 33.58 | 140% | -54% | 11% |
| Rayonier | Jacksonville | FL | 27.21 | 11.63 | 23.50 | 134% | -51% | 16% |
| Harris Corp | Melbourne | FL | 72.33 | 31.41 | 62.68 | 130% | -50% | 15% |
| Vector Group | Miami | FL | 21.17 | 9.21 | 14.97 | 130% | -38% | 41% |
| RTI Surgical | Alachua | FL | 5.29 | 2.31 | 8.68 | 129% | -73% | -39% |
| Patriot Transportation | Jacksonville | FL | 36.12 | 15.99 | 31.15 | 126% | -49% | 16% |
| World Fuel Services | Miami | FL | 56.16 | 26.45 | 29.03 | 112% | -9% | 93% |
| Brown & Brown | Daytona Beach | FL | 32.78 | 15.97 | 23.50 | 105% | -32% | 39% |
| Alico | Fort Myers | FL | 45.63 | 22.67 | 36.50 | 101% | -38% | 25% |
| Cross Country Healthcare | Boca Raton | FL | 10.86 | 5.47 | 14.24 | 99% | -62% | -24% |
| International Speedway | Daytona Beach | FL | 32.25 | 16.49 | 41.18 | 96% | -60% | -22% |
| Exactech | Gainesville | FL | 24.09 | 12.63 | 20.75 | 91% | -39% | 16% |
| Parkway Properties | Orlando | FL | 17.29 | 9.11 | 36.98 | 90% | -75% | -53% |
| Sykes Enterprises | Tampa | FL | 24.19 | 13.92 | 18.00 | 74% | -23% | 34% |
| MasTec | Coral Gables | FL | 17.82 | 10.31 | 10.17 | 73% | 1% | 75% |
| Seacor Holdings | Ft Lauderdale | FL | 69.19 | 42.59 | 71.95 | 62% | -41% | -4% |
| Capital City Bank Group | Tallahassee | FL | 15.91 | 9.98 | 28.22 | 59% | -65% | -44% |
| CenterState Banks | Davenport | FL | 12.19 | 7.77 | 12.10 | 57% | -36% | 1% |
| Seacoast Banking of Florida | Stuart | FL | 13.39 | 10.85 | 51.40 | 23% | -79% | -74% |
| ARC Group Worldwide | Deland | FL | 6.27 | 5.36 | 9.65 | 17% | -44% | -35% |
| PetMed Express | Pompano Beach | FL | 15.69 | 13.66 | 12.10 | 15% | 13% | 30% |
| The St Joe Company | WaterSound | FL | 17.61 | 15.67 | 35.51 | 12% | -56% | -50% |
| ARMOUR Residential REIT | Vero Beach | FL | 3.19 | 9.53 | 9.05 | -67% | 5% | -65% |
| Average % Change all 90 | 504% | -53% | 127% |
