Why Angie's List Inc., DryShips Inc., and Boston Beer Co Inc Tumbled Today

Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over daily movements, we do like to keep an eye on market changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

After amazing gains in 2013, the stock market showed signs of needing to take a break from the bull market it has enjoyed for nearly five years. Even as major market measures all fell almost 1% on the day, some stocks fared far worse, with Angie's List , DryShips , and Boston Beer all tumbling at a much steeper pace today.

Angie's List fell more than 10%, as the provider of commercial-services reviews faced class-action investor lawsuits related to the recent plunge in its stock price. Although a press release from one law firm set out specific claims about particular accounting practices that it found troubling, class action lawsuits aren't unusual, in general, after a stock falls as much as Angie's List has in recent months. With the stock having lost about half its value between late September and early December, only better financial results from the subscriber-based company are likely to silence skeptics and litigants alike.

DryShips dropped more than 8%. The shipping-vessel company announced, after the market closed on New Year's Eve, that it would resume selling shares under an authorized program to issue as much as $200 million in stock. With more than $175 million left under the program, some investors noted the questionable timing of the announcement coming right before the New Year's Day holiday. Nevertheless, some believe that DryShips and its shipping peers have hit bottom and could continue to see gains in 2014.

Boston Beer also declined about 8% in what might well have been simple profit taking after a year that saw the craft-beer brewer's stock price jump about $100 per share. Some have questions whether the craft-beer craze has already topped out, as big mainstream producers aim to enter the space while up-and-coming microbrewers take aim at the huge market share of Sam Adams. Yet, CEO Jim Koch still remains committed to the brewer, despite ongoing automatic sales of insignificant portions of his overall holdings of almost a third of the company.

Get the best stocks for your portfolio
Losing stocks are always painful, but even among winners, there's a huge difference between a good stock and a stock that can make you rich. The Motley Fool's chief investment officer has selected his No. 1 stock for 2014, and it's one of those stocks that could make you rich. You can find out which stock it is in the special free report: "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2014." Just click here to access the report and find out the name of this under-the-radar company.

The article Why Angie's List Inc., DryShips Inc., and Boston Beer Co Inc Tumbled Today originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Dan Caplinger has no position in any stocks mentioned. You can follow him on Twitter @DanCaplinger. The Motley Fool recommends Boston Beer. The Motley Fool owns shares of Boston Beer. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 - 2014 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.