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December 19 Market Close: GovCon Index Higher on Lockheed & Prime Gains, US Stocks Up With Caution on Global Turmoil


Executive Mosaic’s GovCon Index traded higher on contributions from large defense prime contractors as U.S stocks pared back some gains from earlier in the session after the terror attack in a Berlin Christmas market and the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey.

GovCon Index gainers outnumbered decliners by a 3-to-1 ratio and seven of its 11 S&P 500 components advanced with co-listed Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) the GCI’s top net performer and L-3 Communications (NYSE: LLL) the largest laggard.

Shares in Lockheed slid 3.79 percent in the prior week after President-elect Donald Trump criticized the F-35 fighter jet program’s costs.

Other top five net gainers after Lockheed included Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC), Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC),  Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE: HII) and Boeing (NYSE: BA).

Huntington Ingalls hit a 52-week high during the session.

Vectrus (NYSE: VEC) led GCI percentage gainers and was joined in the top five for that category by other services contractors SAIC, Engility Corp. (NYSE: EGL),  CSRA (NYSE: CSRA) and ManTech International (Nasdaq: MANT).

ManTech announced before markets opened its acquisition of federal health information technology services contractor Edaptive Systems.

Telecommunications led eight S&P 500 sectors higher with energy the largest decliner of the remaining three as the U.S. stock bellwether remained in positive territory despite the sense of geopolitical uncertainty in light of the assassination and terror attack, as well as China’s seizure of a U.S. underwater drone Friday.

Market Summary

Index Value Net Change % Change
GovCon Index 88.689 +0.507 +0.575%
S&P 500  2, 258.07 +3.96 +0.18%
Dow Jones Industrial Average 19, 843.41 +8.83 +0.04%
NASDAQ 5, 437.16 +19.69 +0.36%
Advancing GovCon Index Issues 23
Declining GovCon Index Issues 7
Unchanged GovCon Index Issues 0

Top GovCon Index Net Performers

Symbol Company $ Current Price Net Change –´ % Change
LMT Lockheed Martin * 252.18 +2.10 +0.84%
SAIC SAIC 85.38 +1.92 +2.30%
NOC Northrop Grumman * 233.54 +1.84 +0.79%
HII Huntington Ingalls Industries 184.21 +1.81 +0.99%
BA Boeing * 156.18 +1.68 +1.09%

Top GovCon Index Percentage Performers

Symbol Company $ Current Price Net Change % Change –´
VEC Vectrus 24.52 +1.11 +4.74%
SAIC SAIC 85.38 +1.92 +2.30%
EGL Engility Holdings 34.70 +0.75 +2.21%
CSRA CSRA * 32.33 +0.65 +2.05%
MANT ManTech International 42.65 +0.51 +1.21%

Lowest GovCon Index Net Performers

Symbol Company $ Current Price Net Change –¾ % Change
LLL L-3 Communications * 155.25 -2.10 -1.33%
CUB Cubic Corporation 48.75 -0.80 -1.61%
MCK McKesson Corp. * 141.56 -0.73 -0.51%
TXT Textron * 48.34 -0.26 -0.53%
BAESY BAE Systems 29.46 -0.11 -0.37%

Lowest GovCon Index Percentage Performers

Symbol Company $ Current Price Net Change % Change –¾
CUB Cubic Corporation 48.75 -0.80 -1.61%
LLL L-3 Communications * 155.25 -2.10 -1.33%
CAE CAE 14.02 -0.08 -0.57%
TXT Textron Inc * 48.34 -0.26 -0.53%
MCK McKesson Corp. * 141.56 -0.73 -0.51%

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