14 stocks in Russell 3000 up over 100 percent

By Dian Vujovich

Lucky you if Orbitz or Best Buy were new additions to your portfolio at the beginning of this year. Better yet, Keryx Biopharma. All three are top performers in the list of Russell 3,000 stocks with Keryx Biophara (KERX) up over 207 percent year-to-date as of Friday’s close.

Keryx Biophara (KERX) ended last week  at $8.05 a share, ended 2012 at $2.62  with a 52-week range of between $1.28 and 9.98 a share. Not too shabby for a little pharma company and its gaining in popularity phosphate binder, Zerenex. Have no idea what that means or the drug does but in the world of inexpensive, not yet on the market pharmaceuticals, all it takes is promise, hope and good ink to get investors interested.

On the other hand, I do know what Orbitz (OWW) and Best Buy (BBY) do. And both do it well. OWW, up 155,88 percent, was the second biggest gainer in the Russell 3000 performance list and ended last week at $6.96. BBY, up 103.29 percent, closed at 26.29.

My list of 14 stocks enjoying greater than 100 percent gains so far this year, was gleaned from Bespoke’s listing of the 50 top performing stocks in the Russell 3000 Index where the index has gained  11.65 percent  and 75 percent of the companies listed have  positive returns.

Here are the names and stock symbols of the  14 companies  in that  index with stellar  three-digit  YTD returns:

Keryx Biopharmaceuticals (KERX) up 207.25; Orbitz Worldwide Inc. (OWW) up 155.88 percent; Coronado Biosciences (CNDO), up 151.88; Gastar Exploration LTD (GST), up 132.22; Hyperio Therapeutics (HPTX), ahead 120.67 percent; Astex Pharmaceuticals (ASTX), up 119.24; Sinclair Broadcast (SBGI), ahead118.70; Lannett Co (LCI), up 115.93 percent; Caesars Entertainment (CZR), 115.92; SUPERVALU (SVU), gaining112.56 percent; Entravision Comm. (EVC), up 107.23 percent; Nexstar Broadcasting (NXTS), up 106.99; Trulia Inc (TRLA) up105.48 percent; and  Best Buy Co. Inc. (BBY) up 103.29 percent.

FYI, of these 14 the least expensive is Gastar Exploration’s $2.81 per share stock price; the priciest is Trulia’s at $33.37 a share.

View the entire list of Bespoke’s 50 Best Performing Russell 3,000 stocks at: http://tinyurl.com/c8bllkz .