Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index recovered from a slightly negative open Monday and held positive against choppy activity in U.S. stock markets as speculation over the next interest rate hike continued to dominate investors’ attention.
GovCon Index gainers outnumbered laggers and unchanged stocks by a 2-to-1 ratio and eight of the GCI’s 11 S&P 500-listed stocks posted gains with Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) the top net performer and Boeing (NYSE: BA) the best percentage mover of companies listed in both indices.
Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA) led all GCI net gainers Monday and the Dulles, Virginia-based aerospace company’s stock traded at a volume of 1.02 million shares versus the three-month average of 653, 053, while Leidos Holdings (NYSE: LDOS) topped on percentage.
Reston, Virginia-based Leidos’ Monday volume totaled 5.83 million shares compared to the three-month average of 2.97 million and the government services contractor has climbed 5.63 percent since Aug. 17, the company’s first full day after its merger with the former Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) services segment.
The U.S. stock bellwether S&P 500 composite index has slowed down from its rally since early July as investors have examined comments from Federal Reserve leaders on monetary policy and also turned some attention to commodities such as crude oil ahead of a September OPEC meeting.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen is scheduled to address the Economic Policy Symposium Friday in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Crude futures in New York fell 3.03 percent to $47.05 and that decline sent the S&P energy sector down nearly a percent, while the London Brent benchmark tumbled 3.36 percent to $49.17 a barrel.
Market Summary
| Index | Value | Net Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| GovCon Index | 82.275 | +0.250 | +0.305% |
| S&P 500 | 2, 182.64 | -1.23 | -0.06% |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average | 18, 529.42 | -23.15 | -0.12% |
| NASDAQ | 5, 244.60 | -6.23 | -0.12% |
| Advancing GovCon Index Issues | 20 |
| Declining GovCon Index Issues | 10 |
| Unchanged GovCon Index Issues | 0 |
Top GovCon Index Net Gainers
| Symbol | Company | $ Current Price | Net Change –´ | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OA | Orbital ATK | 74.48 | +1.39 | +1.90% |
| CACI | CACI International | 98.55 | +0.87 | +0.89% |
| LDOS | Leidos Holdings | 40.35 | +0.86 | +2.18% |
| NOC | Northrop Grumman * | 218.26 | +0.84 | +0.39% |
| HII | Huntington Ingalls Industries | 168.46 | +0.69 | +0.41% |
Top GovCon Index Percentage Gainers
| Symbol | Company | $ Current Price | Net Change | % Change –´ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LDOS | Leidos Holdings | 40.35 | +0.86 | +2.18% |
| OA | Orbital ATK | 74.48 | +1.39 | +1.90% |
| BAH | Booz Allen Hamilton | 30.34 | +0.53 | +1.78% |
| ICFI | ICF International | 40.83 | +0.52 | +1.29% |
| SAIC | SAIC | 62.59 | +0.68 | +1.10% |
Lowest GovCon Index Net Performers
| Symbol | Company | $ Current Price | Net Change –¾ | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MMS | Maximus | 58.26 | -0.30 | -0.51% |
| ACM | AECOM | 32.23 | -0.27 | -0.83% |
| NAV | Navistar International | 14.05 | -0.22 | -1.54% |
| MCK | McKesson Corp. * | 193.65 | -0.20 | -0.10% |
| GD | General Dynamics Corp. * | 152.22 | -0.16 | -0.11% |
Lowest GovCon Index Percentage Performers
| Symbol | Company | $ Current Price | Net Change | % Change –¾ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAV | Navistar International | 14.05 | -0.22 | -1.54% |
| ACM | AECOM | 32.23 | -0.27 | -0.83% |
| MMS | Maximus, Inc. | 58.26 | -0.30 | -0.51% |
| CSRA | CSRA * | 25.42 | -0.08 | -0.31% |
| VEC | Vectrus | 32.58 | -0.07 | -0.21% |
