And former US Fed Chair Ben Bernanke was born in Augusta, Georgia and will be delivering a key economic presentation at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Indiana on March 23, 2015. It is open to the public and free of charge.
Thus, as a backdrop for Georgian John Lewis and President Obama attending this upcoming Selma Historical Event and also as 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 Georgia businesses and the overall economy there.
I found 65 Georgia Headquartered Companies in the superb Google Finance website and from SEC filings with current Total Market Capitalizations of more than $100 mil and which also had their common stocks trading on each of the following three dates:
- On December 31, 2007 before the financial meltdown hit
- On March 6, 2009, 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 March 2, 2015.
The historical stock prices of these companies were obtained from the following two excellent internet resources.... Google Finance and MarketWatch Big Charts.
These 69 Georgia Companies had their equal-company weighted average stock market prices decline by a huge 55% from December 31, 2007 before the 2008 Financial Meltdown hit to March 6, 2009, 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 nearly six years since March 6, 2009 through the most recent date March 2, 2015, the average stock market prices of these same 69 Georgia Companies have increased by an exceptional 547%.
This 547% average stock market price growth is a huge acceleration from the much lower 490% average stock market price growth only 4 months ago.
An amazingly high 13 of these 69 Georgia Companies experienced more than ten-bag increases.
There has been something upwardly explosive happening with the Georgia Companies Stock Market Prices in the most recent nearly six years and among others, Ben Bernanke, Atlanta, Georgia US Congressman John Lewis and President Obama have all undoubtedly helped here.
Below here are the stock market prices of each of these 69 Georgia Companies on March 2, 2015, 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 | |||
| Georgia Company | HQs | 3-2-15 | 3-6-09 | 12-31-07 | 3-2-15 | 3-6-09 | 3-2-15 | |
| $s | $s | $s | ||||||
| Asbury Automotive Group | Duluth | GA | 79.29 | 2.40 | 15.05 | 3204% | -84% | 427% |
| Gray Television | Atlanta | GA | 11.04 | 0.38 | 8.02 | 2805% | -95% | 38% |
| Carmike Cinemas | Columbus | GA | 32.01 | 1.30 | 7.26 | 2362% | -82% | 341% |
| Graphic Packaging Holding | Atlanta | GA | 15.24 | 0.85 | 3.69 | 1693% | -77% | 313% |
| Fidelity Southern Corp | Atlanta | GA | 15.85 | 0.93 | 7.58 | 1608% | -88% | 109% |
| Oxford Industries | Atlanta | GA | 55.54 | 3.50 | 25.77 | 1487% | -86% | 116% |
| Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen | Atlanta | GA | 62.02 | 3.92 | 11.32 | 1482% | -65% | 448% |
| MiMedx Group | Marietta | GA | 10.25 | 0.68 | 6.35 | 1407% | -89% | 61% |
| Manhattan Associates | Atlanta | GA | 51.38 | 3.53 | 6.59 | 1356% | -46% | 680% |
| Innotrac | Atlanta | GA | 8.19 | 0.60 | 3.61 | 1265% | -83% | 127% |
| Beazer Homes USA | Atlanta | GA | 16.99 | 1.45 | 37.15 | 1072% | -96% | -54% |
| Neenah Paper | Alpharetta | GA | 61.57 | 5.26 | 29.15 | 1071% | -82% | 111% |
| Delta Airlines | Atlanta | GA | 45.39 | 4.06 | 14.89 | 1018% | -73% | 205% |
| Interface | Atlanta | GA | 20.31 | 1.98 | 16.32 | 926% | -88% | 24% |
| Mohawk Industries | Calhoun | GA | 186.17 | 18.24 | 74.40 | 921% | -75% | 150% |
| Newell Rubbermaid | Atlanta | GA | 39.65 | 4.71 | 25.88 | 742% | -82% | 53% |
| Saia Inc | Johns Creek | GA | 45.80 | 5.51 | 8.87 | 731% | -38% | 417% |
| Acuity Brands | Atlanta | GA | 161.00 | 20.82 | 45.00 | 673% | -54% | 258% |
| Schweitzer-Mauduit Intl | Alpharetta | GA | 46.69 | 6.85 | 12.96 | 582% | -47% | 260% |
| Home Depot | Atlanta | GA | 116.12 | 18.00 | 26.94 | 545% | -33% | 331% |
| Rock-Tenn | Norcross | GA | 68.84 | 11.88 | 12.71 | 480% | -7% | 442% |
| RPC Inc | Atlanta | GA | 13.67 | 2.41 | 5.20 | 467% | -54% | 163% |
| Post Properties | Atlanta | GA | 57.10 | 10.15 | 35.12 | 463% | -71% | 63% |
| Carter's | Atlanta | GA | 90.29 | 16.30 | 19.35 | 454% | -16% | 367% |
| Heritage Financial Group | Albany | GA | 25.82 | 5.08 | 11.25 | 408% | -55% | 130% |
| Axiall | Atlanta | GA | 46.95 | 9.75 | 165.50 | 382% | -94% | -72% |
| Numerex | Atlanta | GA | 11.21 | 2.34 | 8.25 | 378% | -72% | 36% |
| Mueller Water Products | Atlanta | GA | 9.38 | 1.98 | 9.52 | 374% | -79% | -1% |
| Equifax | Atlanta | GA | 94.84 | 20.21 | 36.36 | 369% | -44% | 161% |
| Arris Group | Suwanee | GA | 29.81 | 6.37 | 9.98 | 368% | -36% | 199% |
| AFLAC | Columbus | GA | 62.57 | 13.44 | 62.63 | 366% | -79% | 0% |
| Coca-Cola Enterprises | Atlanta | GA | 46.40 | 10.00 | 26.03 | 364% | -62% | 78% |
| Ebix Inc | Atlanta | GA | 26.40 | 5.91 | 8.13 | 347% | -27% | 225% |
| SunTrust Banks | Atlanta | GA | 41.27 | 9.36 | 62.49 | 341% | -85% | -34% |
| NCR | Duluth | GA | 29.43 | 6.80 | 25.10 | 333% | -73% | 17% |
| Invesco Ltd | Atlanta | GA | 40.46 | 9.83 | 31.38 | 312% | -69% | 29% |
| Internap Network Services | Atlanta | GA | 9.63 | 2.42 | 8.33 | 298% | -71% | 16% |
| IntercontinentalExchange Group | Atlanta | GA | 239.32 | 60.39 | 192.50 | 296% | -69% | 24% |
| Genuine Parts | Atlanta | GA | 96.94 | 25.55 | 46.30 | 279% | -45% | 109% |
| Cumulus Media | Atlanta | GA | 4.01 | 1.07 | 8.04 | 275% | -87% | -50% |
| Thomasville Bancshares | Thomasville | GA | 26.75 | 7.50 | 10.63 | 257% | -29% | 152% |
| Rollins | Atlanta | GA | 34.17 | 9.67 | 12.80 | 253% | -24% | 167% |
| AGCO Corp | Duluth | GA | 49.94 | 15.10 | 67.98 | 231% | -78% | -27% |
| Total System Services | Columbus | GA | 38.73 | 11.82 | 28.00 | 228% | -58% | 38% |
| Global Payments | Atlanta | GA | 92.77 | 28.34 | 46.52 | 227% | -39% | 99% |
| Haverty Furniture | Atlanta | GA | 23.89 | 7.75 | 8.99 | 208% | -14% | 166% |
| American Software | Atlanta | GA | 9.76 | 3.17 | 8.50 | 208% | -63% | 15% |
| United Parcel Service | Atlanta | GA | 101.93 | 39.38 | 70.72 | 159% | -44% | 44% |
| CryoLife | Kennesaw | GA | 10.51 | 4.10 | 7.95 | 156% | -48% | 32% |
| Marine Products | Atlanta | GA | 8.20 | 3.21 | 7.01 | 155% | -54% | 17% |
| Agilysys | Alpharetta | GA | 9.78 | 3.97 | 15.12 | 146% | -74% | -35% |
| Zep Inc | Atlanta | GA | 16.69 | 7.02 | 13.87 | 138% | -49% | 20% |
| Aaron's | Atlanta | GA | 29.73 | 12.78 | 11.51 | 133% | 11% | 158% |
| Citi Trends | Savannah | GA | 26.66 | 11.61 | 15.44 | 130% | -25% | 73% |
| Southeastern Bank Financial | Augusta | GA | 27.50 | 12.00 | 31.36 | 129% | -62% | -12% |
| Flower Foods | Thomasville | GA | 21.68 | 9.78 | 10.40 | 122% | -6% | 108% |
| Coca-Cola | Atlanta | GA | 43.20 | 19.55 | 30.69 | 121% | -36% | 41% |
| Cousins Properties Inc | Atlanta | GA | 10.66 | 5.81 | 20.56 | 83% | -72% | -48% |
| PRGX Global | Atlanta | GA | 5.07 | 2.85 | 8.57 | 78% | -67% | -41% |
| United Community Banks | Blairsville | GA | 19.35 | 12.20 | 79.00 | 59% | -85% | -76% |
| Ocwen Financial | Atlanta | GA | 8.54 | 5.38 | 3.34 | 59% | 61% | 156% |
| Synovus Financial | Columbus | GA | 28.01 | 18.55 | 73.71 | 51% | -75% | -62% |
| MedAssets | Alpharetta | GA | 19.31 | 13.28 | 23.94 | 45% | -45% | -19% |
| Gentiva Health Services | Atlanta | GA | 19.19 | 13.80 | 19.04 | 39% | -28% | 1% |
| Premiere Global Services | Atlanta | GA | 9.69 | 7.03 | 14.85 | 38% | -53% | -35% |
| Charter Financial | West Point | GA | 11.62 | 8.82 | 34.48 | 32% | -74% | -66% |
| Crawford & Co | Atlanta | GA | 8.93 | 7.14 | 4.15 | 25% | 72% | 115% |
| Cbeyond | Atlanta | GA | 9.99 | 13.04 | 38.99 | -23% | -67% | -74% |
| EarthLink Holdings | Atlanta | GA | 4.34 | 6.13 | 7.07 | -29% | -13% | -39% |
| Average % Change all 69 Georgia Companies | 547% | -55% | 104% | |||||
