Expert: Steven Taylor - 11/19/2009

Question
We have found a stock certificate for 100 shares of this company dated 03/14/1946 in my father's belongings.  Is this company still in business or is there another company that has bought or merged with this company over the years?  Is this stock certificate worth anything?

Answer
Shelia, from the information I have available, it appears the shares might have had value at one time, but I doubt if they do 75 years later.

In 1947, Premier liquidated itself. Shareholders received shares of 4 other companies, plus $24.30 cash for every 100 shares of Premier held. Chances are, your father received the cash and the shares of the other companies at that time. The other companies were mostly worthless later, although 1 liquidated itself as well in 1953 for 44.92 cents per share (based on the ordinal ratio of 30 shares per 100 Premier, your father would have received or been entitled to receive about $13.50).

If your father did not receive the cash and shares, they would have been turned over to the government for safekeeping. After all these years, I doubt any would still have the assets as the majority of them take unclaimed property after a set number of years. However, never hurts to look, especially as the searches now are mostly free. Try www.naupa.org and www.missingmoney.com - check every state in which your father lived from the time he bought the shares until his death. To search, use the name exactly as it is printed on the certificate.