19 stocks that couldn't catch a break
A small group of S&P 500 companies missed out on a historic stock rally which saw the largest point increases in history for the S&P 500 and the Dow.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Investors around the world cheered as stock markets experienced a broad-based recovery Monday from last week's dismal performance. But as the S&P 500 saw its best-ever point day a small group of stocks were left out in the cold.
A mixed bag of 19 companies out of the 500 that make up the S&P's gauge suffered losses with one notable standout.
Shares of General Electric (GE, Fortune 500) a sprawling conglomerate often seen as a bellwether for the economy fell 2%, but while the loss may seem disappointing, analysts were quick to come to the company's defense.
"They had a 13% gain when the market was down on Friday," said Nicholas Heymann, analyst with Sterne, Agee & Leach.
GE shares rallied Friday after relieved investors learned that the company could count on the Federal Reserve to back about $80 billion in commercial paper it needed to fund daily operations.
To no one's surprise Friday the company reported a 22% decline in third-quarter profits - GE had already warned investors of its disappointing earnings ahead of time.
When both Friday and Monday's sessions are taken into account, the company's stock performance came in line with the rest of the market, according to Heymann.
Also among the losers Monday was newspaper publisher Gannett (GCI, Fortune 500), which saw shares fall by 0.8%. Gannett, like other print media companies, has been struggling with declining circulation and falling ad revenue.
Retail: Several retail companies also fell on Monday. Shares of Sears Holding Company (SHLD, Fortune 500), which operates several chains including Sears and Kmart stores, fell 4.3% after a Goldman Sachs analyst cut the retailer's target price.
Adrianne Shapira, analyst with Goldman, warned investors that the company was vulnerable to weak sales of expensive appliances and clothing.
Shares of apparel retailer VF Corp. (VFC, Fortune 500) also fell 0.6%, while shares of department store operator Dillard's Inc. (DDS, Fortune 500) fell 5.2%. Electronics retailer RadioShack (RSH) saw a share price loss of 3.4%.
Automotive retailer AutoNation (AN, Fortune 500) took a hit as the company continued to reel from recent declines in auto sales.
Standard & Poor's analyst Efraim Levy lowered his rating for the automobile vendor following a decline in S&P's forecast for 2008 auto sales.
Real Estate: Several players in the ailing real estate business also missed out on the rally.
Home builder KB Home (KBH, Fortune 500) saw its stock price fall 1.6% while rival Lennar Corp.'s (LEN, Fortune 500) shares fell 0.8%.
The two builders, caught up in the pessimism over the housing market, were dealt yet another blow when Wachovia analyst Carl Reichardt warned investors that the home building industry's fourth quarter could be the weakest since the 1940s.
Meanwhile, the Dow Jones homebuilder index was negative for most of Monday's session, but managed to end up.
Also real estate companies CB Richard Ellis Group (CBG, Fortune 500) and Equity Residential (EQR) continued to be punished by the slumping real estate market, with their shares falling 2.7% and 3.8% repectively.
Finance: A handful of banking, insurance, and finance companies, also saw declines on Monday.
Shares of Sovereign Bancorp Inc. (SOV, Fortune 500) declined 3.4% after on news that it was in talks to be acquired by Spain's Banco Santander SA. (STD) The report was confirmed after the closing bell and the company pre-announced its 2008 earnings, saying that it had lost $982 million, or $1.48 a share - mostly from mortgage-related investments.
Shares of regional banks were mixed as investors pondered the effect of the Treasury Department's $700 billion rescue toolbox.
Among those that ended the day lower were S&P components M&T Bank Corp. (MTB), which fell 4.3%, and Regions Financial Corp. (RF, Fortune 500), which declined 3.3%, Huntington Bancshares Inc. (HBAN), whose stock price fell 8.7%, and Zions Bancorporation (ZION), which saw stock losses of 4.1%.
Finance company CIT Group, Inc. (CIT, Fortune 500) also saw shares fall 1.3%, while insurance groups Aon Corp (AOC, Fortune 500). and Marsh & McLennan (MMC, Fortune 500) saw shares fall slightly. 
