Investing

Many 52-Week Lows, Even as Stock Market at All-Time Highs: SunPower, Myriad, Perrigo, Tidewater and More

Jon C. Ogg

Published: August 10, 2016 12:50 pm

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 4:43 am

There is an old saying in the stock market that a rising tide lifts all boats. This quite simply means that the rising stock market should lift all stocks. Whether or not you think that should be the case, it’s actually very rarely true. It turns out that the stock market is really a market of stocks, and just like in the grocery store, there are always some items that the market just doesn’t want any longer.

24/7 Wall St. has tracked 28 stocks hitting 52-week lows on Wednesday, August 10, 2016. Investors who own these stocks may not feel like they are in a strong market at all. The sad issue here is that good things do not happen to every company out there all at once.

Included with each company is a note on trading relative to its 52-week range and a reason or the news behind each move. Links have also been provided for more detail if available.

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWR) issued what solar companies should not be issuing. It sees lower guidance and harsher competition, and it is even laying off 1,200 workers. Now we have seen more analyst downgrades that resemble an outright panic. SunPower shares hit a 52-week low of $10.15 on Wednesday, down from a high of $31.10 in the last year. Its stock was last trading down a whopping 30% at $10.27.

Myriad Genetics Inc. (NASDAQ: MYGN) saw its shares tank after missing earnings expectations and issuing disappointing guidance for 2017. Its shares closed down 1.8% at $29.46 before the news, but shares opened down at $21.15 on Wednesday. Shortly after noon Eastern Time, its shares were down an even worse 33% at $19.74 on more than 12 times normal trading volume. Analysts are throwing in the towel here.

First Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) was last seen down 6.1% at $39.12, but shares hit a 52-week low of $36.84. You can blame SunPower here for Wednesday’s price action, as trouble at one must mean trouble for the other if it means new competition. Interestingly enough, First Solar already had its earnings last week, and analysts made their ratings changes before the SunPower crushing blow.

Perrigo Co. PLC (NYSE: PRGO) was last seen trading down 10.2% at $85.36, and the 9.3 million shares traded at noon Eastern Time was more than four times normal trading volume. Its 52-week range is now $82.50 to $198.42. Perrigo’s earnings fell short of estimates and the company’s guidance offered no recovery either.

Tidewater Inc. (NYSE: TDW) was last seen trading down a sharp 20% at $3.70, and the 52-week low was seen at $3.33 Wednesday morning. The 52-week high is all the way up at $19.00. This offshore service vessels and marine support services provider for the offshore energy sector posted a net loss of $89.1 million (−$1.89 per share) on revenues of $167.9 million, down from the same period a year ago of −$15.1 million (−$0.32 per share) on revenues of $304.8 million. That is a substantial decline, even for an energy player.

Noodles & Co. (NASDAQ: NDLS) used to be an incredible stock, but that was then and this now. Its shares hit a 52-week low of $6.77, versus a 52-week high of $14.95. What is so interesting here is that the company’s shares were last seen trading up on the day, but the volume of 75,000 shares was nothing to write home about.

Papa Murphy’s Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH) was one of the sleeper 52-week lows. Its earnings report was last week, but shares still hit a 52-week low of $5.15 on Wednesday. Trading volume of 285,000 at noon Eastern Time was also not out of the norm. This is a take-out-to-make pizza shop, with close to 1,500 stores that are franchised and corporate-owned.

Other key stocks hitting 52-week lows on Wednesday were as follows: Bravo Brio, Bsquare, Cancer Genetics, Cardiome Pharma, Canadian Solar, Impax Labs, Marchex, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage, Cafepress and more.