April 4th, 2016 Energy prices, China's economy, a rollicking election season, terrorist attacks and other world events have sent the stock market on a wild ride. Despite all the uncertainty, the S&P 500 stock index has gained 1.41% year-to-date. With the Stock Markets constantly in flux, it is increasingly difficult to stay on top of key events that might be dramatically altering your top donor prospects' wealth profiles. A report may tell you that a top prospect currently holds $20 million dollars in her portfolio, but if you do not perform proper due diligence, you may not discover your prospect's stock portfolio declined precipitously over the past year, making her feel much poorer than her sizeable account balance would suggest.

The S&P 500's Utilities Index is up 14.96% and the Information Technology Index is up 3.05%, while the Health Care Index is conversely down -4.75%. While significant events continue to steer the major indices, many individual stocks are commonly bucking the overall trends. Following an individual prospect's stock portfolio is a key performance indicator for many of Donor Watch's clients, as a strong performing portfolio will undoubtedly make many top donor prospects feel more secure and more willing to be generous towards their alma-maters and favored charities.

John Duffey, the CEO of Grand Prairie, TX-based Six Flags, is one individual who has to be feeling pretty wealthy, as his company's stock has risen precipitously over the past couple of years. Impressively, Mr. Duffey's stock wealth has jumped from $28M in the middle of 2014 to $54M today. John and his wife have served on the boards of many charitable organizations, making notable contributions to his alma-mater Michigan State University's football practice facilities and the Little City Foundation, among others.

   John Duffey's Stock Portfolio Value over Time

Dominic Caruso, CFO of New Brunswick, NJ-based Johnson & Johnson, has also experienced similar stock portfolio growth. In contrast to the S&P Health Care index's less than stellar 2016, JNJ's stock is actually up 6.3% YTD. Back in early 2014, Mr. Caruso's stock wealth sat at under $6M, but it is now valued at nearly $13M. While his holdings have increased in value, he has also opportunistically sold shares over the past three years, netting him an additional $7.7M in cash and raising his total "Accumulated Wealth" to nearly $33M. An alum of Drexel University, Mr. Caruso's philanthropic efforts include board positions at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Delaware Valley Chapter, among others.

   Dominic Caruso's Stock Portfolio Value over Time

Drew Alexander, CEO of Houston, TX-based Weingarten Realty Investors, has also benefitted from significant stock gains over the past few years. WRI's stock has outperformed in 2016, increasing by 9.3% year-to-date. Overall, Mr.'s Alexander holdings have jumped from $28M in early 2014 to $42M today. An alum of the University of Texas in Austin, his philanthropic efforts include board positions at the Houston Achievement Place, The Gladney Center and The Houston Food Bank.

   Drew Alexander's Stock Portfolio Value over Time

To uncover similar actionable insights within your organization's prospect and alumni pools, please sign-up for a free Donor Watch trial. Each trial includes a customized view of your organizations top 2016 prospects by stock performance.

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