Does This Article Tell Us Something The Government Does Not Want Us To Know?

Gunmaker's shares take off

It's a great time to be a maker of handguns. 

Just ask Sturm, Ruger & Co. (RGR +13.31%), whose shares are up $5.50 to $47.80 this afternoon after hitting an all-time high of $47.88. 

Reason: The gunmaker announced late Wednesday that it has received wholesale orders for more than 1 million units so far this quarter. That's more than the company can manufacture. So it has stopped accepting new orders until the end of May. 

The shares are up 960% since bottoming in November 2008.

The company makes rifles, shotguns, pistols and revolvers. Sales in 2011 were $328 million, up 28% from a year earlier. The company earned $40 million or $2.09 a share, up from $28.3 million, or $1.46 a share, in 2010. 

Sales were up 81% since 2008, reflecting worries about the economy and fears that President Obama and Democrats might try to rein in gun ownership. (There have been no efforts, in fact.)

Business is great for rival Smith & Wesson Holdings (SWHC +11.30%), whose shares are up 86 cents $7.76 this afternoon. They hit $8, a 52-week high, and are up 383% since bottoming at $1.60 in October 2008. 

My view:


It is interesting to see that some of the strongest performing stocks since the 2008/2009 stock market collapse are those of firearms makers.

How did financial institutions that were bailed out with massive amounts of taxpayer money fare over the same period of time?

Not so well....




So my question is this:  Has there been a broad shift in sentiment in the American public to such a degree that government is no longer trusted to provide basic protection of its citizens?