Best and Worst Performing Stocks Since the March 10 Bottom

As a follow-up to our last post, below we highlight the best and worst performing individual stocks (>$5) since the index made a short-term bottom on March 10th. As shown, Indymac Bancorp Inc. (IMB), Freddie Mac (FRE), Washington Mutual Inc. (WM), Capital One Financial Corp. (COF) and Discover Financial Services (DFS) top the list of winners, while Health Care names such as Humana Inc. (HUM), WellPoint Inc. (WLP), Health Net Inc. (HNT), WellCare Health Plans Inc. (WCG), and UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH) top the list of losers.

Comments

[Tony Soprano:]

Fed is doing just fine. Now we know why the Fed set up the TSLF and TAF.

The safety net is catching the dead mice that are falling from the ceiling.

The chemo is working. Only in Amercian can this happen and only in America can it be fixed.

2008 Mar 14 10:59 AM

[Dennis Lucey:]

Tony Soprano said, "Fed is doing just fine. Now we know why the Fed set up the TSLF and TAF."

Yeah, to fix the problems they created in the first place.

But, wait...besides the TAF and TSLF, the Street's betting the Fed will cut to 1.75-2% by May. This morning's CPI report will be the ammo they'll use to say that inflation worries are overblown (read: slowing economy counters rising prices of commodity inputs) and that it's OK to open the spigots like they did pre-housing bubble, pre-dot.com bubble, etc.

Austrian monetary theory shows that these up/down, boom/bust cycles are exacerbated by Fed actions.

It is folly to think that the malinvestment of the housing boom can be cured quickly or painlessly. It's inescapable that firms will fail as part of the housing bust, and as part of the price-correcting process necessary to get real investment funds, not Fed paper, back into distressed markets. The more the Fed tries to prop up the system, the longer the pain will be felt. We're at over nine months and counting...

2008 Mar 14 11:22 AM

[Tony Soprano:]

The Fed is going a great job. God bless, the Fed and Bernanke. Many bloggers on this site are fueling fear. They want you to think that aliens from outer space have arrived and the end is near.

Don't believe the extreme bloggers on this site.
They are padding their own positions.
They are padding their clients.
They are padding their websites and books.

2008 Mar 14 11:38 AM

[Ames Tiedeman:]

One would certainly think that HUM will grow their earnings over the next decade...

2008 Mar 14 11:52 AM

[phdinsuntan...:]

we are here to make money
in any market, and this week
was great if you was in the
rigth position

short FXY FXI
long IEF FXF
put options in financials, obvious move
nit so good in SRS , but next week will fly!
good weekend to all of you!
i go to the beach jaja !

2008 Mar 14 04:28 PM

[hooligan:]

i didnt see the fed pumping any money into hurricane affected areas..they are paying for bank traders to drive ferraris and live in luxury by printing funny money that we will all have to pay for in taxes...this is corruption of the worst sort and far worse than the socio-economic excess of louis IV and marie antoinette prior to the revolution..its about time the banks were told to stop playing stupid games and start going back to their knitting..make them all pay off their swap books and start again!

2008 Mar 15 08:42 AM

[peachin:]

you be out of touch, Tony, no offense...your boys may decide that it's time for your ultimate moment - no one is protecting your Back - except the values of the good old boys...which as we all know - have their feet in concrete at the bottom of the east river - Take a Deep Breath Tony!

2008 Mar 15 08:48 AM

[Robert DiAl...:]

still looking for bargains. Buy the big dips????

2008 Mar 15 11:52 AM

[clue me in:]

What has the Fed done that has made a truly positive impact? The Fed seems to be delaying a correction that will happen in spite of their actions.

2008 Mar 15 12:19 PM

[01GTvert:]

All I can say is thank god for people like Tony Soprano who believe the FED is doing the right thing by using BS stats like CPI to fool the sheeple into thinking inflation is in check and more dumping more cash into the system will help. I can only hope he and others like him believing the hype so I can get rich off gold.

2008 Mar 15 06:29 PM

[tessant:]

solars will be back

-scott
growthportfolio
"the facebook of investing"

2008 Mar 15 06:54 PM

[notsosmart:]

oh yes.reward the million dollar bankers & managers for the mess they made by bailing them out.dumb & dumber americans.be sure to keep up with the final four & all the sports while the elite pick your pockets.actually its ok with me -im doing fine.

2008 Mar 15 08:27 PM

[ozcutty:]

Funny kind of bailout, why not lend Bear Stearns the money it needs? situation must have been horrendous to sell out for $2. Someone posted that their Manhatten office cost $750million!
I'm now seriously thinking of buying JPM, they've just got a bargain, plus they are going to make a killing with Visa IPO.

2008 Mar 17 12:34 AM

[ozcutty:]

I had to laugh when I read this.
Guess what, I own DFS, yeah! unfortunately I also own UNH, oh dear.

2008 Mar 17 12:36 AM

[Disgruntle:]

Well I'm glad to see United Health Care is loosing value. Their service is seriously pathetic, and after many calls and escalating our group plan issues, through the broker, the GA and directly, they still can't get the administration right, don't respond, deny errors, duplicate errrors, wow it's horrendous!

2008 Mar 19 12:34 AM