Jul. 1--Most stocks in the Trib 30 list rose in June, providing the local index with its fourth consecutive monthly increase.

It gained nearly 4 points in June to end the month at 217.0 on Tuesday, the last trading day of June. That put the Trib 30 at its highest level since August, when it stood at 238.6, before plunging in September as the mortgage and credit crisis unfolded.

Most local issues, in all but the banking sector, increased during the month. For instance, nearly all metals-related companies rose in June. Overall, gainers outpaced losers by a margin of 3-to-2, with 18 stocks rising and 12 falling.

One local stock, First Commonwealth Financial, fell to a new 52-week low. The only stock to reach a new high was Michael Baker.

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 $217,000 at the end of trading yesterday.

The Trib 30 fared far better in June than did the Dow Jones industrial average. The Trib 30's increase of 1.8 percent compared with a 0.6 percent loss for the Dow, which closed out June at 8,447.

Michael Baker set a new, 52-week high, of $44.66. The engineering and construction company received upgrades from analysts last month.

Several manufacturers posted healthy month-over-month gains. They included aluminum giant Alcoa (up 12 percent), air and water purifier Calgon Carbon (up 20.5 percent) and marker maker Matthews International (up 9 percent).

The jittery economy apparently led most of the banks' stocks in the local index to close down, compared with prices at May's end. For instance, PNC Financial shed $6.74 a share, or 14.8 percent, to end June at $38.81.

First Commonwealth Financial was the Trib 30's one stock to fall to a new, 52-week low ($5.84). Based in Indiana, Pa., the bank's stock has generally declined since early May but hit no market-moving news in recent weeks.

The bank exception last month was Bank of New York Mellon, which increased $1.53 a share, or 5.5 percent, in June to close yesterday at $29.31.

Thomas Olson can be reached via e-mail or at 412-320-7854.

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