Market Insights

Stocks are finishing their worst year in a decade, but there were still plenty of winners. Let’s run through the best and worst performers of in the S&P 500 index over the course of 2018. All numbers are current based on yesterday’s close.

Biggest Stock Market Winners

1. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD): Once left for dead, the chip maker got an early boost from cyptocurrencies. It later benefited from data-center demand and troubles at nemesis Intel (INTC). AMD up 70 percent on the year.
2. Abiomed (ABMD): The maker of medical devices enjoyed a wave of strong demand for its Impella heart pumps. Results beat estimates each of the four times they were reported. ABMD up 68 percent on the year.
3. Fortinet (FTNT): Cybersecurity remains a hot corner in the tech sector. There are only a few pure plays in the niche and FTNT is the only one in the S&P 500 — having joined in October. FTNT up 61 percent on the year.
4. TripAdvisor (TRIP): The provider of crowd-sourced travel information jolted back from a five-year low, propelled by several positive quarterly reports. TRIP up 57 percent on the year.
5. Advance Auto Parts (AAP): Slow and steady, the retailer of car accessories improved operations throughout the year. It was a classic come-back story. AAP up 55 percent on the year.

The Biggest Losers

1. Coty (COTY): The owner of beauty products like Covergirl struggled with supply-chin issues and weak European sales. Remember it’s loaded with debt after buying Procter & Gamble’s (PG) old cosmetics business. COTY down 68 percent on the year.
2. General Electric (GE): Once the most valuable company in the world, the former blue chip found itself near the bottom of the rankings for a second straight year. The gas-turbine business continues to struggle as balance-sheet worries mount. GE down 58 percent on the year.
3. Mohawk Industries (MHK): Despite making carpet, this company struggled to find a floor all year. Blame the lousy housing market! Blame higher material and transportation costs! Blame the merchandise! MHK down 57 percent on the year.
4. L Brands (LB): The parent of Victoria’s Secret had its third straight brutal year as women shift away from its high-priced apparel. The decline of mall-based retailing didn’t help, either. LB down 57 percent.
5. Perrigo (PRGO): Everything that could go wrong pretty much did go wrong for the maker of over-the-counter medicines. First its results missed estimates. Next, Ireland demanded almost $2 billion in back taxes! PRGO down 55 percent.