Shire (LSE: SHP), Wm Morrison (LSE: MRW) and Aviva (LSE: AV) are among the casualties.
It would have been nice to bring news of some healthy price rises today, but with Spain's big banking bailout, and uncertainties surrounding the forthcoming meeting of EU leaders in Brussels, it hasn't been a good day for the markets.
The FTSE 100 (UKX) had taken a fall of 38 points by early afternoon, to stand on 5,480 points, and that was partly due to Barclays (LSE: BARC), Lloyds Banking (LSE: LLOY) and Royal Bank of Scotland (LSE: RBS) all sliding in early trade.
But away from banking, there are falls throughout the FTSE indices today, which have added to some very disappointing 2012 performances. Here's a quick look at three substantial year-to-date losers in the top-tier index:
Generic drugs
Shire Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: SHPGY.US) has been fighting a battle against the US licensing of a generic competitor to its Adderall XR product for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). And Shire lost that battle today, sending the shares plummeting 250p, or 13%, to 1,716p. That takes the year-to-date loss to 22%.
The Food and Drug Administration has given the go-ahead for Watson Pharmaceuticals to produce a cheap version of the drug, and that immediately led to analysts downgrading their forecasts for Shire -- though the company itself says it will remain competitive in the Adderall XR market, and it still expects to deliver good full-year earnings growth.
Supermarket slump
Not a big price drop on the day, but Wm Morrison (LSE: MRW) shares fell 3.2p, or 1%, to 265p. It's the latest in a long slide that has seen the price fall around 19% so far this year.
Today's cause was the resignation of finance director Richard Pennycook, who was widely seen as a strong guiding hand. Mr Pennycook has failed to land the top job at the company twice now, so it's perhaps not surprising that he has gone looking elsewhere. But coming at a time when it looks like supermarket growth has stalled in the UK, is it bad news for the sector?
Well, the shares of Tesco (LSE: TSCO) and J Sainsbury (LSE: SBRY) have also been in a slump of late, but there have been no words of pessimism from the world's best known Tesco shareholder, Warren Buffett. If you want to know his take, check out the Motley Fool report "The One UK Share Warren Buffett Loves" -- but hurry while it's still free.
Insurance woes
The third share for today is Aviva (LSE: AV), the insurance giant, which is showing the same depressing signs that are affecting a lot of the industry. Down 11p, or another 4% today, the shares have fallen 13% since the turn of the year.
Not all insurers are doing so badly, and Prudential (LSE: PRU) is actually up 12% this year and RSA Insurance (LSE: RSA) shares are flat for 2012. But Aviva has suffered more and is hurting enough to be closing two regional offices. Maybe it's Aviva's annoying Paul Whitehouse ads that are driving people away.
Finally, if you're in the market for FTSE shares that should not provide nasty surprises, then 8 Shares Held By Britain's Super Investor may be for you. In this free report, we've analysed the £20 billion portfolio of legendary City fund manager Neil Woodford. Click here now to discover his favourite large-caps with high dividends and steady growth potential. But hurry -- the report is free for a limited time only.
Are you looking to profit from this uncertain economy? "10 Steps To Making A Million In The Market" is the very latest Motley Fool guide to help Britain invest. Better. We urge you to read the report today -- it's free.
Further Motley Fool investment opportunities:
> Alan Oscroft does not own any shares mentioned in this article. The Motley Fool owns shares in Tesco.
