5 Worst Sectors to Avoid This Week

by Portfolio Grader | February 19, 2013 6:45 pm

For the week, the worst sectors according to Portfolio Grader[1] are the Metals and Mining, Computer and Personal Electronics, Oil and Gas, Semiconductor, and Communications Equipment sectors.

The Metals and Mining sector is trailing behind others this week, with 72% of its stocks (67 out of 93) rated a “sell”. Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE:CLF[2]), ArcelorMittal SA (NY Reg Sh) (NYSE:MT[3]), and Walter Energy Inc. (NYSE:WLT[4]) are dragging down the sector overall, each earning a low grade of F. Cliffs Natural Resources is the worst performer in this sector, with a 50.6% decline in the last 12 months. This is worse than the S&P 500, which has seen a 11.6% increase over the same period.

The Computer and Personal Electronics sector is dragging, with 62% of its stocks (13 out of 21) rated a “sell”. Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ[5]), Diebold (NYSE:DBD[6]), and QLogic (NASDAQ:QLGC[7]) are all currently earning F’s. Over the last 12 months, Hewlett-Packard is the worst performer in this sector, with a 32.2% decline.

The Oil and Gas sector looks weak, with 60% of its stocks (120 out of 200) rated a “sell”. Out of the Oil and Gas stocks, Bill Barrett (NYSE:BBG[8]), Enerplus (NYSE:ERF[9]), and Ultra Petroleum (NYSE:UPL[10]) are near the bottom with F’s. Bill Barrett is the worst performer in this sector, with a 47.1% decline in the last 12 months.

The Semiconductor sector is lagging this week with 58% of its stocks (47 out of 81) rated a “sell”. Cypress Semiconductor (NASDAQ:CY[11]), Atmel (NASDAQ:ATML[12]), and Advanced Micro Devices (NYSE:AMD[13]) are pushing the sector down with F grades. Overall, Advanced Micro Devices is the poorest performer in this sector. Its share price has dropped 43.4% in the last 12 months.

With 56% of its stocks (20 out of 36) rated “sell,” the Communications Equipment sector is struggling this week. With an overall grade of F, Adtran (NASDAQ:ADTN[14]), Emulex (NYSE:ELX[15]), and Polycom Inc. (NASDAQ:PLCM[16]) are weighing down the sector.

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/2013/02/5-worst-sectors-to-avoid-this-week-hpq-dbd-qlgc-adtn-elx-plcm-bbg-erf-upl-clf-mt-wlt-cy-atml-amd/

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