The shares of Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ACAD) have plunged 40% in 2018. Still, it did not stop the Baker Brothers Advisors L.P. from sharply increasing their holdings in the stock when they had the opportunity. The company filed a $200 million secondary offering on November 26 to raise additional capital as they continue to grow.  The company’s lead drug is NUPLAZID, which is the only drug approved for the treatment of Parkinson disease psychosis.

Nvidia Corp.’s (NVDA) stock had been one of the great growth stories in the stock market over the past five years. The stock has surged by more than tenfold during that time. However, that has all come to a halt since October with the stock crashing,  now 43% off its highs. The bad news is that hedge funds and institutions had been buying up shares of the stock and the third quarter was no different.

To say that Twilio Inc. (TWLO) has had a healthy 2018 is an understatement. That is because the stock has risen by nearly fourfold this year, crushing the S&P 500’s return of 4%. It is hard to find any stock that has put together the same type of performance this year

Mellanox Technologies Ltd.’s (MLNX) stock has been on a bull run over the past year. The shares have more than doubled, easily beating the S&P 500’s return of 6%. The strong performance is a result of the company’s ability to gain market share with its high-speed Ethernet adaptors, switches, and cables. It has led analysts to boost their earnings and revenue outlooks for the company over the course of 2018.

Illinois Tool Works, Inc’s (ITW) stock has increased by 58% over the past five years beating out the S&P 500’s rise of 51%. Including dividends, Illinois Tool Works has been able to climb by 76% compared to the S&P 500 Total Return Index rise of 68%.  However, the shares have fallen on hard times recently, dropping by 30% from their January 2018 highs.