5 Worst Sectors to Avoid This Week

by Portfolio Grader | January 15, 2013 3:00 pm

For the week, the worst sectors according to Portfolio Grader[1] are the Gas Utilities, Metals and Mining, Communications Equipment, Marine, and Energy Services sectors.

The Gas Utilities sector is trailing behind others this week, with 69% of its stocks (11 out of 16) rated a “sell”. Among Gas Utilities stocks, WGL Holdings (NYSE:WGL[2]) andNorthwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN[3]) are struggling with grades of D.New Jersey Resources (NYSE:NJR[4]) also has a low grade of F. WGL Holdings is the worst stock in its sector, with the company’s share price falling 7.7% in the last 12 months. This is worse than the S&P 500, which has seen a 13.7% increase over the same period.

The Metals and Mining sector is dragging, with 67% of its stocks (61 out of 91) rated a “sell”. Among Metals and Mining stocks, Walter Energy Inc. (NYSE:WLT[5]), Thompson Creek Metals (NYSE:TC[6]), and Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE:CLF[7]) are lingering near the bottom with grades of F. The worst performer in this sector is Cliffs Natural Resources, which saw its price sink 39.4% in the last 12 months.

The Communications Equipment sector looks weak, with 66% of its stocks (23 out of 35) rated a “sell”. Out of the Communications Equipment stocks, ViaSat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT[8]), Adtran (NASDAQ:ADTN[9]), and Polycom Inc. (NASDAQ:PLCM[10]) are near the bottom with F’s.

The Marine sector is lagging this week with 63% of its stocks (5 out of 8) rated a “sell”. Kirby Corp. (NYSE:KEX[11]), DryShips (NASDAQ:DRYS[12]), and Diana Shipping (NYSE:DSX[13]) are all currently earning D’s.

With 59% of its stocks (32 out of 54) rated “sell,” the Energy Services sector is struggling this week. Weatherford International (NYSE:WFT[14]), Parker Drilling (NYSE:PKD[15]), and Key Energy Services (NYSE:KEG[16]) are pushing the sector down with F grades. Overall, Parker Drilling is the poorest performer in this sector. Its share price has dropped 24.6% in the last 12 months.

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader[1] 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[17].

Source URL: https://investorplace.com/2013/01/5-worst-sectors-to-avoid-this-week-wft-pkd-keg-vsat-adtn-plcm-kex-drys-dsx-wlt-tc-clf-njr-wgl-nwn/

---