13. Micron Technology
Fortune 500 rank: 287
2010 revenue: $8.5 billion
10-year annualized return: -13.8%
Micron took a beating in 2001 and 2002 when its main product, the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip, experienced a supply glut. Demand for DRAM chips -- which are used in personal computers -- plunged after the tech bubble burst, causing prices to drop.
Micron was later implicated in a price-fixing scheme that involved all of the major chip makers; the company received amnesty in exchange for aiding the DOJ's investigation, but was slammed with an expensive civil suit.
Micron's fortunes improved over the next few years, but it once again faced a supply glut in 2008, which caused profits to tumble.
NEXT: 14. Qwest Communications
Last updated May 05 2011: 2:52 PM ET
