Frankly, outside of Panera Bread (PNRA), Genentech (DNA), Amgen (AMGN), H&R Block (HRB) and Walmart (WMT) I don't see many names the casual individual stock market investor would know about or recognize. In green are the names we own, and in purple are names we once owned or have discussed in the blog. But we love relative strength and these are the type of charts we want to hang out in with our larger exposures. The top of the list is dominated by the one place I felt relatively "safe" (it's all relative) in latter 2008: healthcare - we own a few of the big winners but certainly did not catch all of those huge moves. This time around - once we got past mid year all safe havens, regardless of asset class were demolished (excluding US Treasuries). What strikes so different about this year versus the carnage of 2000-2002 is back then there were at least places to hide out. This will be a year to be discussed for generations, and I expect 2009 to be quite an interesting one as well. I don't have the data in front of me but there was some staggering analysis on how many stocks in America lost 50%+ in 2008 a massive percentage of all listed shares. I had to bring down the minimum market capitalization to $750 million just to find 52 names who gained 15% - much of that is so many stocks have lost so much of their market cap and so many of our US listed companies had negative years. Frankly that list on May 26th, was the list to short in the 2nd half of the year. After a quick scan of THAT list, I don't think a single one ended the year +15% - it was very heavily tilted to commodities which is where I, along with apparently 90% of the hedge fund community, was hiding for the first 6 months of 2008. What has been even more amazing has been the compare and contrast of the "half years" of 2008 - I ran a similar list in May There were 122 stocks that had gained at least 25% with a market capitalization of $2 Billion or more. That is quite a pathetic total, but as I said above - we just came off the worst year in (hopefully) all of our lifetimes. To that end, I am presenting to you 52 stocks that returned at least 15% in 2008. But that's what makes the market every fascinating - always new things to learn. (or reading super shrewd bloggers) ) To say this year was a learning experience for all involved is an understatement. Textbooks won't help you - living breathing and being in the market is the only way to learn. The best tuition for the stock market is. So if you are still alive and kicking congrats. folks, no matter what happens (short of 8%+ rally here in the next 3 days) we are projecting the worst year in the markets at least since the early 1930s and perhaps longer than that. With that said, I am always curious to see what stocks held up over the long run. This has been for many months a run and gun daytrader environment not a place for theme investors. I like to look for relative strength and ride sector/company trends for the longer term - this market is not for that sort of investor. It's been a market of asset allocation not individual stocks much of the back half of the year. The herd piles in, or piles out - regardless of sector, style, fundamentals. Everything must either be bought or sold, as stocks are either deemed "good" or "bad" that hour, day, or month. I used to, and will one day return, to posting the best performing stocks of the week - but the wicked volatility and "student body left" trading of the past 4 months has made it a moot point.