In the S&P 500, the average stock is up just about 6% for the year, with 65% of the index in the black

In the S&P 500, the average stock is up just about 6% for the year, with 65% of the index in the black. Looking at the top 40 best performers in the index, there's quite a few stocks from the energy sector, technology, and heath care. The biggest names on the list (in terms of name recognition) are probably Facebook (up 34% YTD) and Intel (up 27% YTD). Flying under the radar, First Solar, the prominent solar stock in the US, is up 26% on the year. The most recognizable name on the S&P 500's worst performer list is Amazon, down 20% YTD. Despite a marked improvement from previous years, Yahoo also made the list this time around, down 11% on the year. The worst performer list is heavily populated with consumer stocks. (VIEW LINK)