Sandwiched smack between the Christmas and New Year holidays, the past week was largely a sleeper. Volume for the Dow Jones Industrial Average
The Dow slid 0.6% for the week, while the broader Russell 3000 dropped 0.7%. Investors worked on a defensive posture in the final days of 2011, and equity-market safe haven sectors were the top performers.
Top 3 performing sectors
Russell 3000 Sector | Weekly Price Change | Month-to-Date Price Change |
---|---|---|
Telecom | 0.7% | 3.5% |
Utilities | 0.3% | 3% |
Health Care | (0.3%) | 2.6% |
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Weekly price change is Dec. 23-Dec. 30. Monthly price change is Nov. 30-Dec. 30.
Representing the lagging tech sector was MoSys
Also catching a serious tailwind during the week was oil and gas exploration company Endeavour International
Top 3 performing Russell 3000 companies
Company | Weekly Price Change |
---|---|
MoSys | 37.7% |
Endeavour | 35.8% |
Zogenix | 27.6% |
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Weekly price change is Dec. 23-Dec. 30.
Also among the week's top performers were Diamond Foods
Diamond Foods, meanwhile, jumped nearly 14% after rumors swirled that investing icon David Einhorn had taken a stake in the company. The market has swatted around Diamond's stock ever since the company announced that it's investigating its accounting -- in particular, its payments to walnut growers. When a top investor like Einhorn jumps in on a beaten-down stock, the move tends to be followed by plenty of copycat investors. Blind copy-catting like that isn't a very Foolish way to invest, but if the Einhorn rumors are confirmed, there could be more upside for the stock.
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