Mixed year for stocks of locally based companies

All over the map - a reflection of the zigzag year that Wall Street had in general. Jeans maker True Religion was up 55.3 percent in 2011, while American Apparel was down 56.6 percent. Lions Gate was up 27.8 percent, while DreamWorks Animation was down 43.7 percent. Real estate company Douglas Emmett was up 12.8 percent, while CB Richard Ellis, also in real estate, was down 25.7 percent, Frankly, I can't remember a year that saw so many ups and downs in the same industries. There are many reasons why stocks move in one direction or another, but what's striking about this list if how it suggests an economy in transition. Certain businesses are facing particular problems that can't be overcome by robust economic growth because there hasn't been robust economic growth. Anyway, here's a look at some local issues and their performance for 2011.

--Disney +1.7%
--Guess -35.4%
--American Apparel -56.6%
--True Religion +55.3%
--Amgen +18.2%
--Staar Surgical +72%
--Jacobs Engineering -11.5%
--KB Home -48.8%
--Ryland Group -6.7%
--Edison International +10.9%
--Occidental Petroleum -2.6%
--City National -26.9%
--East West Bancorp +1.9%
--PacWest Bancorp -10.4%
--HealthNet +11.5%
--Mercury General +12.6%
--J2 Global -1.5%
--Stamps.com +97.2%
--AveryDennison -30.2%
--Dole Food -35.9%
--Jakks Pacific -21.6%
--Mattel +13%
--OSI Systems +34.1%
--DirecTV +7.1%
--DreamWorks Animation -43.7%
--Lions Gate +27.8%
--Live Nation -27.2%
--RealD -69.4%
--CB Richard Ellis -25.7%
--Douglas Emmett +12.8%
--Macerich +11.2%
--Public Storage +36.7%
--99 Cents Only Stores +37.7%
--Activision +0.5%
--THQ -87.4%