Money burned: January's worst big stocks

It's been a terrible start to the year - making some investors nervous about the rest of the year. But it's been horrific for investors in the wrong spots.

There are 10 stocks in the Standard & Poor's 500, including energy firm Ensco (ESV), equipment rental company United Rentals (URI) and auto parts maker BorgWarner (BWA) that are down a crushing 25% or more this year, according to a USA TODAY analysis of data from S&P Capital IQ. You read that right - if you bought one of these stocks you've lost a quarter of your money in just one month.

Investors are certainly having their fill of pain this year. Despite a 2.4% rally Friday, the Standard & Poor's 500 is down 5.1% this year and off 8.9% from its high last year. The market's performance is pretty disappointing coming off the flat year in 2015.

But flat would be a welcome change for investors who are getting trampled by the year's most disappointing stocks. Given the free fall of oil prices this year, it's probably not surprising to see an energy stock at the bottom of the barrel. Ensco, an offshore contract driller, has seen its shares drop 36.5% this year to drop to $9.78 a share. The company's adjusted profit is expected to drop by a third in 2015 and another 49% in 2016, says S&P Capital IQ. That definitely warrants a repricing of the stock.

Don't make the mistake of thinking energy was the only point of point. Just one of the 10 worst stocks of the year were in the energy sector. Materials companies, like copper producer Freeport-McMoRan (FCX), are actually the most common in the worst stocks accounting for 40% of the worst ten stocks. Prices for commodities have been dropping and yanking commodity stocks down with them.

It's a bad market - no doubt. But it could be much worse - if you own these stocks - much worse.

WORST S&P 500 STOCKS THIS YEAR 

Company, symbol, YTD % Ch., sector

Ensco, ESV, -36.5%, energy

United Rentals, URI, -34%, industrials

BorgWarner, BWA, -32.1%, consumer discretionary

Freeport-McMoRan, FCX, -32.1%, materials

Vertex Pharmaceuticals, VRTX, -27.9%, healthcare

Alliance Data Systems, ADS, -27.8%, technology

CF Industries, CF, -26.5%, materials

Alcoa, AA, -26.1%, materials

Owens-Illinois, OI, -25.7%, materials

Source: S&P Capital IQ