What happened
Rollins Inc. (ROL 3.99%). Freshpet (FRPT -0.88%). Mobile Mini (MINI).
What do a termite control company, a maker of pet treats, and a portable storage provider have in common? Not a whole lot, except for one big thing: On Friday, all three of these stocks leapt 10% and more.
Image source: Getty Images.
So what
Following President Trump's declaration of a coronavirus "national emergency" Friday, shares of Rollins, Freshpet, and Mobile Mini jumped 10%, 12.6%, and 14.2%, respectively.
And yet, the measures President Trump outlined in his "national emergency" speech focused mainly on a public-private partnership between the federal government and major medical pharmaceutical and diagnostics companies, as well as an oil-buying pledge designed to bolster the energy industry. There wasn't a whole lot in that speech to elate shareholders interested in termite control, pet snacks, or storage units specifically.
Now what
But that could change. Over the weekend, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation offering Americans free coronavirus testing, paid sick leave and family and medical leave, improvements to unemployment insurance benefits, and more social spending on food stamps, Medicaid, and other programs for low-income Americans.
Although some of these measures aim to specifically address the medical emergency, others -- specifically the "paid" portions of the medical leave provisions, as well as the social spending -- promise to put more money in consumers' pockets in the event they have to take time off from work as part of the nationwide "social distancing" mandate. Such measures could help to maintain consumer spending at levels that could mitigate the economic damage these companies would otherwise face.
Is that sufficient reason to explain the stocks rebounding 10% (or more) in a day? Only time will tell. For now, the immediate next step will be to see whether the Senate approves the measures the House passed over the weekend, and whether the president will sign them into law.
