According to the Portfolio Grader database this week, the Independent Utilities, Metals and Mining, Gas Utilities, Communications Equipment, and Semiconductor sectors are at the bottom.
The Independent Utilities sector looks weak, with 70% of its stocks (7 out of 10) rated a “sell”. TransAlta (NYSE:TAC), AES (NYSE:AES), and Dynegy Inc. (NYSE:DYN) are dragging down the sector overall, each earning a low grade of F. TransAlta is performing worst overall in the sector, with a 22.3% decline over the last 12 months. This is worse than the S&P 500, which has seen a 17.9% increase over the same period.
The Metals and Mining sector is trailing behind others this week, with 69% of its stocks (60 out of 87) rated a “sell”. Mechel (NYSE:MTL), Walter Energy Inc. (NYSE:WLT), and Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE:CLF) are all currently earning F’s. Overall, Walter Energy Inc. is the poorest performer in this sector. Its share price has dropped 50.1% in the last 12 months.
With 69% of its stocks (11 out of 16) rated “sell,” the Gas Utilities sector is struggling this week. Among Gas Utilities stocks, New Jersey Resources (NYSE:NJR) and South Jersey Industries (NYSE:SJI) are struggling with grades of F. Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) also has a low grade of D. The worst performer in this sector is New Jersey Resources, which saw its price sink 16.6% in the last 12 months.
The Communications Equipment sector is lagging this week with 68% of its stocks (23 out of 34) rated a “sell”. With an overall grade of F, Acme Packet (NASDAQ:APKT), Adtran (NASDAQ:ADTN), and ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) are weighing down the sector.
The Semiconductor sector is dragging, with 61% of its stocks (45 out of 74) rated a “sell”. Among Semiconductor stocks, International Rectifier (NYSE:IRF), PMC-Sierra (NASDAQ:PMCS), and Intersil (NASDAQ:ISIL) are lingering near the bottom with grades of F. International Rectifier is performing worst overall in the sector, with a 13.6% decline over the last 12 months.
Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.
