Stocks closed lower in the final trading day of a heavily volatile year. The Dow finished higher for the year, while the S&P erased its gains to close out largely flat.A look at the best and worst performers in the Dow Jones industrial average, which tracks 30 key U.S. companies; the biggest industry gainers and decliners in the broader S&P 500 index, which ended nearly flat for the year and some companies that rattled investors in 2011.
Major U.S. Indexes
Last 1 Week % Change MTD % Change QTD % Change YTD % Change
Dow 12217.56 -0.62% 1.43% 11.95% 5.53%
NASDAQ 2605.15 -0.52% -0.58% 7.86% -1.80%
S&P 500 1257.60 -0.61% 0.85% 11.15% -0.003%
Russell 2000 740.92 -0.94% 0.47% 15.02% -5.45%
CBOE VIX 23.40 12.88% -15.83% -45.53% 31.83%
Nymex crude +8.15%, Brent crude +13.33%, natural gas -32.15%, copper -22.71%, Comex gold +10.18%, U.S. dollar -3.22% vs. euro, 10-year Treasury yield -43.57% to 1.88%.
Best-Performing AMEX Stocks in 2011
Major U.S. Indexes
Last 1 Week % Change MTD % Change QTD % Change YTD % Change
Dow 12217.56 -0.62% 1.43% 11.95% 5.53%
NASDAQ 2605.15 -0.52% -0.58% 7.86% -1.80%
S&P 500 1257.60 -0.61% 0.85% 11.15% -0.003%
Russell 2000 740.92 -0.94% 0.47% 15.02% -5.45%
CBOE VIX 23.40 12.88% -15.83% -45.53% 31.83%
Nymex crude +8.15%, Brent crude +13.33%, natural gas -32.15%, copper -22.71%, Comex gold +10.18%, U.S. dollar -3.22% vs. euro, 10-year Treasury yield -43.57% to 1.88%.
Best-Performing AMEX Stocks in 2011
Best-Performing NASDAQ Stocks in 2011
Worst-Performing NASDAQ Stocks in 2011
Best-Performing S&P Stocks in 2011
Worst-Performing S&P Stocks in 2011
Best-Performing DJIA Stocks in 2011
BEST OF THE DOW
Worst-Performing NASDAQ Stocks in 2011
Best-Performing S&P Stocks in 2011
Worst-Performing S&P Stocks in 2011
Best-Performing DJIA Stocks in 2011
BEST OF THE DOW
McDonald's Corp., (MCD) up 31%. The burger chain has remodeled stores and added healthier items to menus in the U.S. while expanding abroad.
IBM Corp., (IBM) up 25%. The 100-year-old tech company sells high-margin software and technology services that can help corporations and governments cut costs.
Pfizer Inc., (PF) up 25% The world's largest drugmaker has been advancing new drugs to offset generic competition for Lipitor, the biggest-selling drug in history.
WORST OF THE DOW
Bank of America Corp(BAC) down 58% One of the country's largest financial institutions is still dealing with fallout from the housing meltdown.
WORST OF THE DOW
Bank of America Corp(BAC) down 58% One of the country's largest financial institutions is still dealing with fallout from the housing meltdown.
Alcoa Inc (AA) down 44%. The aluminum producer is a barometer for the health of the global economy. Investors worried about a slowdown in China and a prolonged debt crisis in Europe.
Hewlett-Packard Co.(HPQ) down 39%. The PC and printer maker struggled with executive dysfunction and indecisiveness on whether to sell its low-margin PC business.
OTHER BIG MOVERS
OTHER BIG MOVERS
First Solar Inc(FSLR) down 74% and worst in the S&P 500. Chinese companies are producing cheaper solar products while governments cut subsidies for alternative energy.
Cabot Oil & Gas(COG), up 101% and best in the S&P 500. The oil and gas company ramped up production, and lucrative natural gas reserves in the energy-rich Marcellus Shale bode well for its future.
Netflix Inc.(NFLX), down 61% The video company alienated subscribers with changes to prices and an ill-fated attempt to separate its streaming and DVD-by-mail businesses.
Apple Inc(AAPL) up 26%. The company's newest iPads and iPhones sold briskly while investors looked to new CEO Tim Cook to fill the shoes of Steve Jobs, who died in October.
THE TOP S&P INDUSTRY SECTORS
Utilities, up 15%
Consumer staples, up 10.5%
Healthcare, up 10%
THE WORST S&P INDUSTRY SECTORS
Financials, down 18%
Materials, down 12 %
Industrials, down 3 %Materials, down 12 %
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