Salient to Investors:

  • Nine of every 10 stocks in the S&P 500 are set to end the year in positive territory.
  • Only 2 in 5 US bond funds have broken even for investors.
  • Almost anything associated with gold has lost money.
  • The best performing US large-cap stock is Fannie Mae, the worst is Newmont Mining.
  • The best international stock is a Chinese automobile company, the worst is a mining company.
  • The best performing equity mutual fund is a biotech fund. Bloomberg Industries says pharma companies are eager to acquire new drug pipelines, and analysts estimate mature US biotech companies will boost sales 18 percent and earnings 25 percent in 2014. The worst equity mutual fund is a gold fund.
  • The best performing small-cap stock fund is a micro-cap growth fund, the worst is an emerging markets fund.
  • The best performing bond fund is a convertible fund, the worst is an extended duration Treasury index fund.
  • The best performing commodity is natural gas. Hedge funds have increased their bets on gas amid forecasts of colder weather for the US. The worst performing commodity is corn.
  • The best performing ETF is a solar ETF, the worst is a VIX short-term futures ETF.
  • The best performing currency is the Danish Krone, the worst the South African Rand.

Read the full article at http://www.bloomberg.com/money-gallery/2013-12-06/the-best-and-worst-investments-of-2013.html

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