If you'd invested in: Ferrexpo and Fairpoint

If only...

Ferrexpo (LSE: FXPO) is a London-listed, Swiss-headquartered Ukrainian iron-ore producer and a constituent of the FTSE 250. Its fortunes are very much bound up with the commodities cycle. After peaking in mid-2011, the share price slumped by more than 70% as commodity prices plunged. Since the beginning of last year, however, the shares have tracked the price of iron ore back up while the firm has upped production and cut costs. Investors who bought in back then have seen a return of more than 470%.

Be glad you didn't

Fairpoint (Aim: FRP) provides financial and legal services to consumers to help them manage their debts and pursue claims. It operates under several brands, including Debt Free Direct, MoneyExtra.com and Simpsons Millar. The company has recently issued a profits warning concerning its legal division, and its chief executive stepped down "by mutual agreement" at the end of December. The shares have been in decline since late 2015, and have fallen by 88% in the last 12 months.

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