2012 was a relatively disappointing year for my portfolio. It returned 7.2% vs. 16.0% for the S&P 500.
That difference is, in part, due to the horribly horrendous stocks listed below. This investing year will be remembered by me as the year that destroyed "The Distressed" experiment once and for all.
Here's a look at all the stocks I've sold in the past year, from best to worst - based solely on 2012's performance, while mostly ignoring any intra-year volatility:
Sunrise Senior Living (SRZ)
Bought: Feb @ $7.94
Sold: Aug @ $14.29 (80%)
Year-closing price: $14.38 (81%)
This is how "The Distressed" is supposed to work...in theory.
Netflix (NFLX)
Year-opening price: $69.29
Sold: Apr @ $82.61 (19%)
Year-closing price: $92.59 (34%)
Dying to be bought by Amazon (AMZN).
Chimera Investment (CIM)
Year-opening price: $2.51
Sold: Apr @ $2.90 (16%)
Year-closing price: $2.61 (4%)
The worst REIT I'll ever own.
BP Prudhoe Bay Royalty Trust (BPT)
Year-opening price: $113.96
Sold: Aug @ $101.00 (-11%)
Year-closing price: $68.54 (-40%)
The last royalty trust stock I'll ever own.
Jones Soda (JSDA)
Year-opening price: $0.37
Sold: Sep @ $0.32 (-15%)
Year-closing price: $0.30 (-19%)
Coca-Cola? Pepsi? Monster? Anyone? Hello?
Electronic Arts (EA)
Year-opening price: $20.60
Sold: Sep @ $14.10 (-32%)
Year-closing price: $14.52 (-30%)
Game software is a brutal industry.
Rubicon Technology (RBCN)
Bought: Feb @ $11.80
Sold: Nov @ $7.22 (-39%)
Year-closing price: $6.11 (-48%)
"Decent fundamentals", I said when I bought this. Hilarious.
ITT Educational Services (ESI)
Year-opening price: $56.89
Sold: Aug @ $31.07 (-45%)
Year-closing price: $17.31 (-70%)
Worthless, in so many ways.
Hansen Medical (HNSN)
Bought: Feb @ $3.51
Sold: Aug @ $1.74 (-50%)
Year-closing price: $2.08 (-41%)
"A much crappier version of Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)"? Yes.
Dendreon (DNDN)
Bought: Feb @ $14.30
Sold: Jun @ $6.75 (-53%)
Year-closing price: $5.29 (-63%)
These guys will probably not cure cancer.
Acme Packet (APKT)
Bought: Feb @ $34.20
Sold: Jul @ $15.48 (-55%)
Year-closing price: $22.12 (-35%)
Boring network company.
Zipcar (ZIP)
Bought: Feb @ $15.15
Sold: Aug @ $6.80 (-55%)
Year-closing price: $8.24 (-46%)
Good idea, lousy stock.
MAKO Surgical (MAKO)
Bought: Feb @ $34.62
Sold: Jul @ $14.00 (-60%)
Year-closing price: $12.85 (-63%)
Terrible fundamentals.
Hugoton Royalty Trust (HGT)
Year-opening price: $18.84
Sold: May @ $7.11 (-62%)
Year-closing price: $7.31 (-61%)
Can't truss it. Easily, the most return-damaging stock to my portfolio on this list.
Savient Pharmaceuticals (SVNT)
Bought: Feb @ $2.10
Sold: Jun @ $0.72 (-66%)
Year-closing price: $1.05 (-50%)
The last drug stock I'll ever own.
