Gun stocks fall as corporate pressure mounts on NRA

The National Rifle Association, or #NRA, an American organization that advocates for gun rights, is seeing public pressure mount from corporations that it has partnered with in the wake of the Parkland, Florida school shooting, which resulted in 17 deaths.

PARTNERSHIPS DROPPED

The nation’s largest privately owned bank, First National Bank of Omaha, said on Thursday that it will not renew its contract with the NRA for a branded Visa card.

A spokesman for the bank said in a statement, “Customer feedback has caused us to review our relationship with the NRA. As a result, First National Bank of Omaha will not renew its contract with the National Rifle Association to issue the NRA Visa Card.”

Additionally on Thursday, privately held Enterprise Holdings, which owns the Enterprise, Alamo, and National car rental brands, said it will end its partnership with the NRA — which gave NRA members discounts — next month.

FORMER PARTNERS DISTANCING THEMSELVES

Hotel companies Best Western and Wyndham Hotels, which were previously targeted for boycotts following the Newton, Connecticut elementary school shooting in 2012, have posted dozens of tweets each, letting customers know they are no longer affiliated with the NRA.

Wyndham tweeted repeatedly, “Please know, Wyndham is no longer affiliated with the NRA,” while Best Western tweeted a similar message, “Best Western Hotels & Resorts does not have an affiliation with and is not a partner of the National Rifle Association.”

MORE PARTNERSHIPS DROPPED

Over the course of the day, more companies joined the growing chorus, including Hertz (HTZ), which ended its rental car discount program with the NRA, Symantec (SYMC), which stopped its discount program with the NRA, Metlife (MET), which ended its insurance discount program with the NRA, and Chubb (CB), which will stop underwriting a NRA-branded insurance policy for gun owners.

PRICE ACTION

Publicly traded gunmakers are down in Friday’s trading on a day the broader markets are rising. American Outdoor Brands Corp (AOBC), formerly known as Smith & Wesson, is down 5.5% to $9.56, while Sturm Ruger & Company (RGR) is down 3.67% to $47.20.

STOCKWINNERS