4/10/2013 12:14:00 AM
HEADLINES
Strong FINdex Can’t Outdo Other Industrials

Amid a bull market rush, the FIN Fastener Stock Index showed strength in the opening quarter of 2013, but it was not enough to best an index of related industrial stocks.
The FINdex rose 9.5% in Q1, compared with a 10.1% improvement by related industrial stocks.

The opening quarter of 2013 was full of positive market news and major acquisitions.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a record on March 8, breaking a barrier it had not surpassed since October 2007.

That day the Dow closed at 14,397.07, capping a week of positive financial news that included Labor Department figures on stronger-than-expected job growth in February, the Associated Press reports.

For the year the Dow is up 11.3%, the S&P 500 has risen 10% and the Nasdaq has gained 8.2%.

But some FINdex companies outperformed the Dow in Q1.

Lawson Products achieved the greatest stock percentage increase so far in 2013, with shares gaining 77.6%.

Other FINdex companies with share gains of 10% in 2013 include B/E Aerospace (22%), Barnes (29%), Chicago Rivet (33%), Fastenal (10%), Grainger (11.2%), MSC Industrial (13.8%), Park-Ohio (55.5%), and TriMas (16%).

FINdex companies losing share value this year include Alcoa, Carpenter Technologies and Simpson Mfg.

Major acquisitions in Q1 included:

Stanley Black & Decker acquiring Hong Kong-based Infastech 
MSC Industrial to buy Barnes Distribution
Hillman completes acquisition of H. Paulin & Co.
TriMas’ Lamons acquiring Wulfrun Specialised Fasteners Ltd.

For 2012 the FINdex finished 10.5% higher than 2011 — edging out the 10.4% gain recorded by an index of related industrial stocks.

FIN currently tracks 18 publicly-held companies with major fastener revenue. ©2013 GlobalFastenerNews.com

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