Recession Hits Romance;
Index of Romance-Related Stocks Is Down 15% Over Last Valentines Day
Looks like its a bad year to invest in romance. The stocks of 14 publicly traded companies that traffic in romance are down 15.6% since last Valentines Day, according to Kecks Index. The good new is, romance appears to be beating the S&P 500.
Washington, DC -- February 13, 2003 -- Looks like its a bad year to invest in romance. The stocks of 14 publicly traded companies that traffic in romance are down 15.6% since last Valentines Day, according to Kecks Index.
The Index includes purveyors of romantic indulgences, from LMVH, makers of Moet Champagne and Godiva chocolates, to Hersheys, makers of chocolate Kisses; from high-end Tiffany & Company to Zales jewelry stores. Flower delivery giants FTD and 1-800-Flowers make an appearance, as do the parent companies of Victorias Secret, Joe Boxer, Match.com and the Golden Door Spas. Sara Lee offers both cheesecake and Wonderbras (some may argue that is redundant).
Privately held Hallmark wont be found on the Index, but American Greetings and their eGreetings.com subsidiary are. You might want to send a condolence card, though -- the stock is down 5.6%.
In fact, every company on the Index is down - except for P&O Cruises, home of the Love Boats," and FTD (which weighed-in to the contest mid-year). This comes after a Romance Index up-tick of over 10% the previous year.
The good new is, romance appears to be beating the S&P 500, although that index is calculated somewhat differently.
We put the Romance Index together for fun," says creator Gayle Keck. It gives another dimension to the stock market."
Of course, love and romance can flourish, even in a down-market. Just remember, hugs and kisses are free," Keck says.
[The complete KECK'S INDEX: ROMANCE is available as an attachment to this document - or by emailing KecksIndex@aol.com
About Kecks Index: Kecks Index takes unusual looks at the stock market by indexing stocks as they relate to holidays, events and life. Each Index is derived by compiling the individual share prices for all included stocks; changes in the Index are calculated based on that total. Kecks Index: Sex and Kecks Index: St. Patricks Day will soon be available at www.KecksIndex.com
About Gayle Keck: Gayle Keck co-founded and sold an innovative Internet business that taught money management to teens and kids. Currently, she is a freelance writer who still enjoys finding new ways to explore the world of finance.
Legal: Kecks Index: Romance is provided for entertainment purposes only. It is not intended to be used for making investment decisions (or romantic decisions). The inclusion or exclusion of a stock is purely at the discretion of Kecks Index; no compensation is received for any stocks listed (or not listed). In some case, products listed are only a single component of an entitys corporate holding and do not reflect the complete nature of the subject companys business. Kecks Index attempts to be as accurate as possible in the information it provides, but assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors or omissions. Kecks Index shall not be responsible for any trading or investment decisions made based on any information which it provides.
Periodical publications are free to publish or quote information provided by Kecks Index, with proper attribution. All materials are © 2003 Gayle Keck.
For information: Gayle Keck
Email: KecksIndex@aol.com
Phone: 703-312-4180
Website: www.KecksIndex.com
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