In the opening quarter of 2019, the FIN Fastener Stock Index recouped the losses it suffered in 2018, gaining 7.2%, compared to an 8.6% increase by an index of related industrial stocks.

Most aerospace, automotive and industrial fastener companies tracked by the FINdex posted stock gains during Q1.

Carpenter Technology achieved the largest percentage gain of the period, rising 28.8% in the first three months of 2019.

Other fastener companies with gains of 10% or more during Q1 included Arconic (up 13.3%); Bisco Industries (up 23.8%); Fastenal (up 23%); ITW (up 14.6%); Nucor (up 12.6%); Stanley Black & Decker (up 13.7%); and TriMas (up 10.8%).

FINdex companies posting share losses during Q1 included Chicago Rivet (down 10.5%); Dorman Products (down 2.1%); Lawson Products (down 0.6%); and Tree Island Steel (down 4.5%).

The FINdex contracted in 2018, hampered by volatility that dominated the markets, making 2018 the worst year for stocks in a decade.

The FINdex declined 7.1% during the year, compared to a 7% drop by an index of related industrial stocks. The loss followed two consecutive years of double-digit growth.

U.S. stocks had their worst December since the Great Depression. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 9.7%, the Nasdaq Composite dropped 10.4%, and the S&P 500 declined 10%. 

For the last decade of financial coverage, FIN Subscribers can visit the FIN Stock Review section of GlobalFastenerNews.com.