How Have The Best And Worst Stocks Of 2016 Performed In 2017?

The July 4 holiday weekend marks the halfway point of what has been an excellent year for stocks. Through the first six months of the year, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust SPY is up roughly 8 percent, nearly in-line with its average full-year return over the past 90 years.

The halfway point of the year can provide a bit of perspective on one of the classic debates among traders: is it better to buy on weakness or ride the winners.

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With half of 2017 now in the books, here’s a look at how the best and worst S&P 500 stocks of 2017 are doing so far this year.

The Best

1. NVIDIA Corporation NVDA

2016 return: +227.0 percent.

2017 return: +36.5 percent.

2. ONEOK, Inc. OKE

2016 return: +149.6 percent.

2017 return: -9.6 percent.

3. Freeport-McMoRan Inc FCX

2016 return: +94.8 percent.

2017 return: -7.8.

4. Newmont Mining Corp NEM

2016 return: +90.1 percent.

2017 return: -4.8 percent.

5. Applied Materials, Inc. AMAT

2016 return: +75.7 percent.

2017 return: +27.3 percent.

The Worst

1. Endo International plc - Ordinary Shares ENDP

2016 return: -73.1 percent.

2017 return: -31.9 percent.

2. First Solar, Inc. FSLR

2016 return: -51.4 percent.

2017 return: +23.0 percent.

3. Tripadvisor Inc TRIP

2016 return: -45.6 percent.

2017 return: -19.2 percent.

4. Perrigo Company plc Ordinary Shares PRGO

2016 return: -42.1 percent.

2017 return: -8.8 percent.

5. Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated VRTX

2016 return: -41.5 percent.

2017 return: +73.1 percent.

And The Winner Is ...

After compiling the results, investors who bought an equal portfolio of the five best stocks of 2016 at the end of the year would be up 8.3 percent overall in the first half of 2017, while investors that bought the five worst stocks of 2016 would be up 7.2 percent overall in 2017. The momentum camp scores a narrow victory in this particular competition, but it’s certainly worth noting that both strategies have delivered returns that are within 1 percent of the overall S&P 500 this year.