Netflix rose the most in the S&P 500 in 2013

Netflix soared while Newmont sank. Here are the three biggest winners and the three biggest losers in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index in 2013.

The Winners:

Ÿ Netflix, up 298 percent. Netflix’s earnings have soared as the video subscription service attracts millions of new customers. Netflix’s library has expanded quickly with original, widely acclaimed shows like “House of Cards” and “Orange is the New Black.”

Ÿ Micron Technology, up 243 percent. The Boise, Idaho-based semiconductor maker has been on a roll. Micron’s chips, which are found in computers, cars and mobile devices, are benefiting from consolidation in the industry. Sales of its memory chips are booming.

Ÿ Best Buy, up 237 percent. The electronics retailer has slashed costs, ramped up employee training and matched online prices to draw customers into its stores. Best Buy has been stepping up its game as it faces competition from discounters and online retailers like Amazon.com.

The Losers:

Ÿ Newmont Mining, down 50.4 percent. The Denver-based mining company has been stung by sharply lower prices for gold and copper. Gold prices peaked in 2011 and have fallen sharply in 2013.

Ÿ Cliffs Natural Resources, down 32 percent. Cliffs, another mining company, has also had a dreadful year as commodities prices have fallen. Cliffs was also hit by concerns about China’s growth and Europe’s economic struggles.

Ÿ Edwards Lifesciences, down 27.1 percent. The maker of heart devices predicted disappointing results for the fourth quarter. Investors have been put off by weak expectations for sales of the company’s flagship Sapien heart valves, which face new competition.