Market Full of Blarney
Index of Irish-Related Stocks Beats S&P 500

Washington, DC -- March 14, 2003 -- Is it the luck of the Irish?  Eleven Irish-related stocks are beating the S&P 500 for the second year in a row, according to Keck's Index. Could be good news for the earning o' the green. 

The Index includes such St. Paddy's favorites as corned beef, cabbage and potatoes - with plenty of libations to wash the traditional meal down, of course.  Guiness Stout, Harp Lager and Kilkenny Irish Beer are listed, as well as Jameson's and Old Bushmills Irish whiskies.

And, for an element of fun, you'll also find Irish Spring soap, Cabbage Patch Kids, Lucky Charms cereal and the distributor of the Leprechaun movies

The large companies on Keck's Index: St. Patrick's Day sell many products, but they seem to have found a few lucky shamrocks - enough to trounce the S&P 500 (although that index is calculated somewhat differently).  While Keck's Index: St. Patrick's Day is down 14% versus last year, that's less than half of the S&P's losses. 

"We put the St. Patrick's Day Index together for fun," says creator Gayle Keck.  "It gives another dimension to the market."   

While there's no pot of gold at the end of the stock market these days, Keck says, you might want to keep an eye on these stocks. "That's no blarney," she adds.