5 Best and Worst S&P 500 Stocks of 2011

A look at the biggest stock duds and market heroes of the year

Dec 16, 2011, 8:00 am EDT | By Jim Woods, Editor-at-Large, The Wealth Shield

#3 Worst: MEMC Electronic Materials, -63%

MEMC Solar stocks were among the worst performers in the entire market in 2011, as the sector’s cause was hurt by the high-profile bankruptcy of politically connected firm Solyndra. MEMC Electronics Materials (NYSE:WFR), once a darling of the clean-tech investing wave, powered down a dismal 63% loss in 2011.