The Scoreboard – Winning and Losing Stocks for 2008

The biggest dog in 2008 went to none other than beleaguered investment bank Babcock & Brown – its shares tanking by 99.4% to the year ending 17 December 2008. Anyone with $10,000 parked with the investment house in December last year, has less than the cost of a tank of petrol to show for it (around 60 bucks).

The best performing stock in 2008 goes to little known CI Resources that owns a phosphate rock mine on Christmas Island. Those with the vision to pump money into CI Resources last year can splurge this Christmas – as a $10,000 investment with the junior miner last year is now worth the pretty sum of $45,000.

k pickers in medical stgice stock Analytica also more than doubled their money this year, as did shareholders in comparison site InfoChoice and coal seam gas exploration company Pure Energy Resources.

If we restrict our analysis the top 200 stocks where the chunk of the market invests, well known players emerge on the list. Top performers include energy stocks like Linc Energy (up 170%), Origin Energy (up 78%), New Hope Corporation (up 38%), New Zealand Oil and Gas (up 14%) and Santos (up 3%). Interestingly, 6 stocks posted negative returns but still managed to score a guernsey on the top 20 list. These stocks include the likes of AWB, Oil Search, Metcash, ResMed, Felix Resources and Washington H. Soul Pattinson.

Stock shockers on the Aussie bourse in 2008 were numerous. A $10,000 investment in Mooter Media, Sam’s Seafood Holdings and City Pacific back in December last year is worth just $91, $140 and $180 today. Other dogs on the ASX include Mariner Financial, Admiralty Resources, Omnitech Holdings as well as a host of real estate stocks pummelled by the property market fallout, including the likes of Centro Properties Group. Sectors worst hit include real estate, diversified financials and materials.

Out of the top 200 companies, two Macquarie Group plays – the Macquarie Office Trust and Communications Infrastructure Group – lost investors over 80% of their money, while real estate stocks Goodman Group (down 90%) and Mirvac Group (down 81%) were also clear underperformers. Previous market darling Worley Parsons, James Packer’s Challenger Financial Services, Macarthur Coal and Gunns Limited also sunk under the weight of market selling.

Top 20 stocks for 2008 from the S&P/ASX 200

Bottom 20 stocks for 2008 from the S&P/ASX 200

Top 20 stocks for 2008

Bottom 20 stocks for 2008

Source: Lincoln Stock Doctor as at 17 December 2008

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