Mortgage-Finance Flops

How bad has it been for mortgage-finance firms and thrifts? Of 168 publicly traded companies, 95 percent suffered stock declines in the past year through Tuesday, which was before last week's bounce. Nine of the stocks were trading at less than $1. Among the worst hit: Radian, a provider of financial services and credit-related insurance coverage, and Triad Guaranty, which provides private mortgage insurance products. Both were down 98 percent. Nine firms, mostly engaged in retail and commercial banking, were up in the period.