U.S. equity indices ended 2013 on a strong note, posting biggest percentage gain since 1997. The gains enriched investors and signalled economic rebound post the recession. Equities surged on the back of an improving economy and unprecedented stimulus from the Federal Reserve, ignoring the “fiscal cliff” at the beginning of the year, the Boston Marathon bombings, a near war with Syria, a government shutdown and jump in yields on long-term government bonds to their highest level since July 2011. Wall Street also remained calm following the Fed’s decision to cut the stimulus package by $10 billion to $75 billion per month.
The healthcare sector provided the highest returns of 38.7% during 2013 while the metals and mining sector witnessed a decline of 2.1% due to the declining commodity prices on the back of subdued demand. Gold prices declined 28.3% during 2013 ending the year at $1,201.64 an ounce, while silver prices dropped 35.8% to $19.5 an ounce by the end of 2013.
Ubika Research has highlighted 5 top performing stocks of 2013 from each sector which have outperformed the broader indices and have average daily trading volumes in excess of 100,000 shares over the past 6 months.
Index Performance (2013)
| Index |
Last Index Value |
Index Return 2013 |
Index Average Volume |
|
S&P 500 Index |
1,848.36 |
29.6% |
494,857,418 |
|
NASDAQ Composite Index |
4,176.59 |
38.3% |
414,863,408 |
|
Russell 2000 Index |
1,163.64 |
37.0% |
232,487,331 |
Source: Bloomberg
Stocks Performance
|
Sectors (Sector Index Gain) |
Company Name |
Exchange |
Ticker |
Market Cap |
Price* |
Price Change |
Average Volume |
52-Week High Price |
52-Week Low Price |
|
Diversified Mining |
US Silica Holdings Inc |
NYSE |
SLCA |
1,823.3 |
34.11 |
103.9% |
1,436,307 |
37.14 |
16.15 |
|
AK Steel Holding Corp |
NYSE |
AKS |
1,118.0 |
8.20 |
78.3% |
5,706,967 |
8.47 |
2.76 |
|
|
Liquidmetal Technologies Inc |
OTC BB |
LQMT |
61.7 |
0.17 |
65.7% |
5,829,107 |
0.23 |
0.05 |
|
|
Horsehead Holding Corp |
NASDAQ |
ZINC |
817.6 |
16.21 |
58.8% |
385,027 |
16.80 |
9.38 |
|
|
SunCoke Energy Inc |
NYSE |
SXC |
1,587.1 |
22.81 |
46.3% |
490,705 |
23.42 |
13.58 |
|
|
Energy |
Gastar Exploration Inc |
NYSE |
GST |
423.1 |
6.92 |
471.9% |
769,537 |
6.99 |
1.01 |
|
JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd |
NYSE |
JKS |
770.6 |
29.30 |
371.8% |
1,447,526 |
34.88 |
3.96 |
|
|
China Sunergy Co Ltd |
NASDAQ |
CSUN |
89.5 |
6.03 |
324.6% |
681,935 |
10.19 |
1.25 |
|
|
Real Goods Solar Inc |
NASDAQ |
RSOL |
87.4 |
3.02 |
297.3% |
2,671,172 |
7.17 |
0.65 |
|
|
Trina Solar Ltd |
NYSE |
TSL |
1,079.4 |
13.67 |
215.0% |
5,081,112 |
17.84 |
3.31 |
|
|
Technology |
Zhone Technologies Inc |
NASDAQ |
ZHNE |
169.1 |
5.34 |
1029.0% |
169,128,405 |
3.38 |
0.78 |
|
China Information Technology Inc |
NASDAQ |
CNIT |
195.3 |
7.23 |
694.6% |
195,265,006 |
27.15 |
18.18 |
|
|
China Finance Online Co Ltd |
NASDAQ |
JRJC |
139.5 |
6.29 |
451.8% |
139,496,953 |
3.90 |
2.61 |
|
|
Responsys Inc |
NASDAQ |
MKTG |
1,408.8 |
27.41 |
359.9% |
1,408,779,189 |
47.41 |
37.57 |
|
|
Performance Technologies Inc |
NASDAQ |
PTIX |
41.7 |
3.74 |
359.0% |
41,718,690 |
15.96 |
12.33 |
|
|
Industrials |
Canadian Solar Inc |
NASDAQ |
CSIQ |
1,375.7 |
29.82 |
777.1% |
3,528,799 |
33.25 |
3.12 |
|
Adept Technology Inc |
NASDAQ |
ADEP |
185.4 |
16.89 |
549.6% |
189,948 |
17.00 |
2.44 |
|
|
Revolution Lighting Technologies Inc |
NASDAQ |
RVLT |
279.6 |
3.43 |
442.7% |
1,154,666 |
5.50 |
0.60 |
|
|
Broadwind Energy Inc |
NASDAQ |
BWEN |
137.7 |
9.44 |
337.0% |
204,818 |
10.43 |
2.24 |
|
|
Orion Energy Systems Inc |
NYSE |
OESX |
143.9 |
6.80 |
309.6% |
176,733 |
7.22 |
1.60 |
|
|
Healthcare |
Lannett Co Inc |
NYSE |
LCI |
1,153.8 |
33.10 |
567.3% |
279,518 |
33.95 |
4.86 |
|
Chelsea Therapeutics International Ltd |
NASDAQ |
CHTP |
347.9 |
4.44 |
483.6% |
1,176,961 |
4.53 |
0.76 |
|
|
Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc |
NYSE |
INO |
604.3 |
2.90 |
480.6% |
7,290,319 |
3.03 |
0.49 |
|
|
BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Inc |
NASDAQ |
BCRX |
449.1 |
7.60 |
435.2% |
1,704,616 |
7.84 |
1.12 |
|
|
Idera Pharmaceuticals Inc |
NASDAQ |
IDRA |
294.9 |
4.63 |
420.2% |
1,107,378 |
4.75 |
0.19 |
|
|
Financials |
National Holdings Corp |
OTC BB |
NHLD |
70.9 |
0.58 |
259.4% |
192,338 |
0.60 |
0.18 |
|
Independent Bank Corp |
NASDAQ |
IBCP |
273.8 |
12.00 |
242.4% |
132,964 |
12.45 |
3.44 |
|
|
Universal Insurance Holdings Inc |
NYSE |
UVE |
508.4 |
14.48 |
230.6% |
374,852 |
14.83 |
4.17 |
|
|
Noah Holdings Ltd |
NYSE |
NOAH |
992.1 |
18.00 |
208.7% |
617,575 |
25.51 |
5.64 |
|
|
BofI Holding Inc |
NASDAQ |
BOFI |
1,086.5 |
78.43 |
182.0% |
200,979 |
82.27 |
28.02 |
Source: Bloomberg
*Price as of Dec 31, 2013
