Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index held higher for a fifth straight session Thursday on contributions from aerospace stocks Boeing (NYSE: BA) and General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) as U.S. financial markets received a boost from gains in JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM) shares.
The GovCon Index rose 0.072 points to a record 81.823 as the S&P 500 composite index also traded higher on strong financial stock performances as that sector led all advancers after JPMorgan posted second quarter profit above analyst expectations.
Shares in Boeing gained 1.11 percent after the airplane maker reported $26.8 billion in commercial aircraft orders at list prices during the Farnborough airshow and General Dynamics added 83 cents — or 0.59 percent.
Seven of the GovCon Index’s 11 S&P 500 companies posted gains and five GCI stocks new 52-week highs during intraday trade: Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), AECOM (NYSE: ACM), Honeywell International (NYSE: HON), ManTech International (NASDAQ: MANT) and Vectrus (NYSE: VEC).
Military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries ended Thursday as the GCI’s biggest net lagger by $1.18 — or 68 cents.
According to Reuters, U.S. investors also cheered a fall in weekly jobless claims and a rise in producer prices for June that was the benchmark’s biggest in a year.
Top GovCon Index Net Gainers
| Symbol | Company | $ Current Price | Net Change –´ | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | Boeing * | 131.55 | 1.44 | 1.11% |
| GD | General Dynamics * | 142.56 | 0.83 | 0.59% |
| MCK | McKesson Corp. * | 198.03 | 0.62 | 0.31% |
| COL | Rockwell Collins | 85.82 | 0.61 | 0.72% |
| LDOS | Leidos Holdings | 50.00 | 0.45 | 0.91% |
Top GovCon Index Percentage Gainers
| Symbol | Company | $ Current Price | Net Change | % Change –´ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | Boeing * | 131.55 | 1.44 | 1.11% |
| GIB | CGI Group | 44.68 | 0.42 | 0.95% |
| LDOS | Leidos Holdings | 50.00 | 0.45 | 0.91% |
| ACM | AECOM | 34.28 | 0.30 | 0.88% |
| COL | Rockwell Collins | 85.82 | 0.61 | 0.72% |
*Also listed in the S&P 500 composite index
Market Summary
| Advancing GovCon Index Issues | 18 |
| Declining GovCon Index Issues | 11 |
| Unchanged GovCon Index Issues | 1 |
| Index | Value | Net Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GovCon Index | 81.823 | +0.072 | +0.088% |
| S&P 500 | 2, 163.75 | +11.32 | +0.53% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 18, 506.41 | +134.29 | +0.73% |
| NASDAQ | 5, 034.06 | +28.33 | +0.57% |
