Aug. 1--Despite a generally ugly month for Trib 30 stocks, the local index crawled up slightly by the end of July.

At the close of trading Thursday, the Trib 30 finished the month at 231.4, up marginally from 231.2 at the end of June. In many cases, quarterly earnings of companies in the index disappointed.

But an unusually heavy number of local issues (11) fell to 52-week lows. And every one of the index's five bank stocks tanked. Two retail-related issues suffered lows.

The Trib 30 is an equal-weighted index of stocks of companies located or dominant in Western Pennsylvania. An investor who divided $100,000 equally among the 30 stocks on Dec. 31, 1999, had a portfolio worth $231,400 at the end of trading Thursday.

By comparison, the Dow Jones industrial average finished the turbulent month at 11,378, a 0.2 percent uptick from June's close. The Trib 30's July close of 231.4 was 0.1 percent above its mark in June.

Three local issues did reach 52-week highs in July, however. Each had set a high in June, too.

Rail-industry company Wabtec motored to $58.24, its fourth high in as many months, shattering the previous mark of $51.50 set in June. Earnings beat Wall Street expectations.

Two other companies hit their second highs in two months. Calgon Carbon, which makes air and water purifiers, set a high of $20.25 on healthy earnings news. And H.J. Heinz reached a high of $51.44 on scant news.

All five bank issues sank to 52-week lows, mostly due to continued uncertainty in the housing and credit markets that have been roiling financial stocks.

Two bank stocks hit their second low marks in as many months. Bank of New York Mellon fell to $32.90, and Parkvale Financial fell to $21.46. PNC hit a low of $49.01

First Commonwealth struck a new low, despite posting a healthy gain in net income. And National City, which has been in a subprime-lending tailspin since spring 2007, sank to $2.99.

Both of the Trib 30's retail-oriented stocks hit their second lows in two months. Clothing chain operator American Eagle Outfitters slipped to $11.87 on news of poor June sales and news of a key executive's departure. Shipper FedEx throttled down to $71.33 on news it might acquire a Dutch counterpart.

The sole utility to sink to a new low was Allegheny Energy. The stock hit a low of $44.22 on news of a key executive's departure.

Specialty steelmaker Allegheny Technologies hit its second low in two months, $45.03, on disappointing earnings. Poor earnings also hurt Mine Safety Appliances, which fell to a low of $30.47.

PPG Industries fell to a low of $54.04 the day it announced the sale of its automotive glass business.

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