Value in Banks stocks rose 0.5 percent in the week ending April 2 from the previous week.
The strongest performing Banks company in Louisiana was First Guaranty Bancshares Inc. (FGBI:NMQ), sitting 323.3 percent higher to sell at $23.8.
Home Federal Bancorp Inc. of Louisiana (HFBL:NAQ) fared the worst among Louisiana companies, suffering an 89.5 percent drop to $21.
Among Baton Rouge companies, Investar Holding Corp. (ISTR:NMQ) saw the highest rise in value of 79.5 percent in the week ending April 2.
The Finance and Credit Services industry was the week’s best-performing industry on the market. The market is divided into 44 different industries.
Industrial Transportation was the worst-performing industry.
Healthcare and technology stocks are viewed as the safest bets for long-term gains.
Besty Kuekcer with Benzinga.com said healthcare-related stocks, such as hospital conglomerates and insurance companies, have weathered numerous economic crises and still make a profit, suggesting that they are generally a stable investment.
While technology stocks can be more risky, given the boom-bust nature of new tech companies, Kuecker recommended a diverse portfolio of tech companies to strike it big when companies succeed or sell to other larger companies.
For short-term investments, Kuecker recommended “consumer discretionary” stocks, which are sensitive to economic changes but can rise greatly on the back of a strong economy.
Nothing in this article is to be assumed as financial advice.
| Industry | Percentage Change | Highest Positive Change | Largest Negative Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Credit Services | 99.6% | 1,028.9% | -81% |
| Telecommunications Equipment | 7.8% | 2,950.9% | -83% |
| Real Estate Investment Trusts | 4.2% | 2,889.3% | -84.9% |
| Food Producers | 4% | 14,857.6% | -92.1% |
| Gas, Water and Multi-utilities | 3.7% | 163.6% | -62.9% |
| Electricity | 3% | 1,356.4% | -69% |
| Medical Equipment and Services | 3% | 22,356.8% | -96.6% |
| Software and Computer Services | 3% | 3,849% | -95% |
| Health Care Providers | 2.8% | 1,747.5% | -80.8% |
| Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology | 2.3% | 72,545.9% | -96.9% |
| Waste and Disposal Services | 2.2% | 746.1% | -50.4% |
| Closed End Investments | 2.1% | 2,702.7% | -92.8% |
| Tobacco | 1.9% | 434.9% | -89.7% |
| Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trusts | 1.6% | 163.2% | -74.2% |
| Beverages | 1.4% | 671.5% | -83.7% |
| Non-life Insurance | 1% | 302.9% | -82.7% |
| Alternative Energy | 0.8% | 440.8% | -75.5% |
| Industrial Support Services | 0.7% | 4,670.5% | -75.4% |
| Media | 0.7% | 9,980.1% | -93.5% |
| Banks | 0.5% | 46,358.9% | -99.7% |
| Automobiles and Parts | 0.4% | 462% | -70.3% |
| Oil, Gas and Coal | 0.4% | 4,477.5% | -99.7% |
| Consumer Services | 0.3% | 9,300% | -84.9% |
| Travel and Leisure | 0.3% | 19,698% | -99.4% |
| Open End and Miscellaneous Investment Vehicles | 0.1% | 379,139.1% | -99.9% |
| Personal Care, Drug and Grocery Stores | 0.1% | 61,036.1% | -74.2% |
| Industrial Materials | -0.3% | 2,759% | -78.8% |
| Real Estate Investment and Services | -0.3% | 729.8% | -96.4% |
| General Industrials | -0.4% | 1,606.1% | -53.1% |
| Chemicals | -0.5% | 264.3% | -80.5% |
| Leisure Goods | -0.7% | 1,088.1% | -45.3% |
| Personal Goods | -0.9% | 487.2% | -52.1% |
| Life Insurance | -0.9% | 267.5% | -53.2% |
| Aerospace and Defense | -1.1% | 5,845.8% | -85.6% |
| Industrial Metals and Mining | -1.4% | 2,290.8% | -88.8% |
| Construction and Materials | -1.7% | 59,868% | -91.8% |
| Technology Hardware and Equipment | -1.8% | 10,097.1% | -71.6% |
| Electronic and Electrical Equipment | -2% | 85,688% | -94.7% |
| Industrial Engineering | -2.2% | 4,586.2% | -87.3% |
| Retailers | -2.6% | 113,233.3% | -97.8% |
| Household Goods and Home Construction | -2.7% | 411.7% | -95.6% |
| Investment Banking and Brokerage Services | -3.1% | 27,388.6% | -90% |
| Precious Metals and Mining | -3.5% | 27,743.2% | -70.1% |
| Industrial Transportation | -5.1% | 3,818.8% | -88.3% |
