According to the Portfolio Grader database this week, the Gas Utilities, Shipping and Logistics, Energy Services, Metals and Mining, and Marine sectors are at the bottom.
With 75% of its stocks (12 out of 16) rated “sell,” the Gas Utilities sector is struggling this week. Among Gas Utilities stocks, Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE:NWN) andAGL Resources (NYSE:GAS) are struggling with grades of D.New Jersey Resources (NYSE:NJR) also has a low grade of F. The worst performer in this sector is Northwest Natural Gas, which saw its price sink 5.5% in the last 12 months. This is worse than the S&P 500, which has seen an 18.5% increase over the same period.
The Shipping and Logistics sector looks weak, with 75% of its stocks (6 out of 8) rated a “sell”. Expeditors International of Washington (NASDAQ:EXPD), UTi Worldwide (NASDAQ:UTIW), and UPS (NYSE:UPS) are all currently earning D’s.
The Energy Services sector is dragging, with 65% of its stocks (34 out of 52) rated a “sell”. Key Energy Services (NYSE:KEG), Parker Drilling (NYSE:PKD), and Nabors Industries (NYSE:NBR) are pushing the sector down with F grades. Nabors Industries is performing worst overall in the sector, with a 15.5% decline over the last 12 months.
The Metals and Mining sector is trailing behind others this week, with 64% of its stocks (56 out of 88) rated a “sell”. Thompson Creek Metals (NYSE:TC), Walter Energy Inc. (NYSE:WLT), and Cliffs Natural Resources (NYSE:CLF) are dragging down the sector overall, each earning a low grade of F. Over the last 12 months, Cliffs Natural Resources is the worst performer in this sector, with a 43.1% decline.
The Marine sector is lagging this week with 63% of its stocks (5 out of 8) rated a “sell”. With an overall grade of D, Diana Shipping (NYSE:DSX), Kirby Corp. (NYSE:KEX), and DryShips (NASDAQ:DRYS) are weighing down the sector. Overall, Kirby Corp. is the poorest performer in this sector. Its share price has dropped 7.3% in 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.
