Memorial Day Observances

Memorial Day is a time to reflect upon and express gratitude for those who died in military service to protect our democracy.  We have many cherished freedoms in our country, top most is the right to speak our minds freely.    

The best way to honor our soldiers is to hold up our end of the load  -  carrying out the responsibility of our citizenship in the voting booth.

All soldiers must learn how to handle a gun.  Regular citizens  -  and investors  -  need to learn a few things about guns too.

Child Places Flowers at School Memorial, Uvalde Texas

·        Four in ten adults  - 42% - told Pew Research in 2017 survey that there is a gun in their household

·        Half of white men in US  -  48%  -  told Pew Research in 2017 that they personally own a gun

·        Pew Research survey found 89% of gun owners say owning a gun is important to their overall identity

·        Pew Research survey found 85% of gun owners say the right to own guns is essential to their sense of freedom

·        Pew Research survey found 66% of gun owners say protection is a major reason for owning a gun

·        Over 400 million guns of all types were in circulation in the U.S. in 2019 according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1.2 guns per man woman and child

·        Over 20 million AR-15 type semi-automatic weapons are legally in circulation in the U.S. according to National Shooting Sports Foundation

·        Like its military version, the AR-15 semi-automatic weapon is designed to kill people quickly and in large numbers, earning it the appropriate characterization ‘assault rifle’

·        Top ten AR-15 type weapons

o   Ruger:  AR-556

o   American Tactical Imports:  AR-15

o   Bravo Company:  Mod 0, Mod 2, Recce 14/16

o   Wilson Combat:  AR-15

o   Daniel Defense:  DDM4 V7

o   LaRue:  RedatAR

o   Rock River Arms:  LAW-15 Entry Tactical

o   Sig Sauer:  M400

o   Smith & Wesson:  M&P15 Sport II

o   Springfield Armory:  Saint Victor 556 

·        Gun and ammunition production accounted for approximately $63.5 billion in economic activity in 2020; public weapons manufacturers include:

o   Smith & Wesson Brands (SWBI:  NYSE)

o   Sturm Ruger & Company (RGR:  NYSE)

o   Olin Corporation (OLN:  NYSE)

o   Vista Outdoor (VSTO:  NYSE)

o   AMMO, Inc. (POWW:  Nasdaq)

·        Top institutional investors in gun and ammunition production companies

o   Blackrock, Inc.

o   Vanguard Group

o   Renaissance Technologies

o   Dimensional Fund Advisors

o   State Street Corporation

o   Fidelity Management and Research

 

·        More people died of run-related injuries in 2020 than any other year on record according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

·        There were a record 40 active shooter incidents in the U.S. in 2020, topping the previous record of 31 active shooter incidents in 2017

·        Mass shooting deaths totaled 48 during the ten years (4.8 per year average) between 1994 and 2004 when the U.S. instituted a ban on assault weapons, down from 63 (6.3 per year average) in the previous ten years

·        In the ten years after the assault rifle ban expired in 2004, mass shooting deaths totaled 180 (18 per year average).  

 

·        National voter registration resource  -  click here and enter your state to find out how to vote where you live

 

 

Neither the author of the Small Cap Strategist web log, Crystal Equity Research nor its affiliates have a beneficial interest in the companies mentioned herein.