The S&P 500 is having its best start since 1987, especially in energy stocks, after a disappointing 2011, wherein when the single worst-performing share was First Solar A short on the shares was the most profitable position in 2011 for some hedge funds, such as Greenlight. “Many future deals will focus on traditional energy. But many others will also involve bets tied to the new technologies around gas generally – and shale in particular – in part because of such uncertainty” (as the Arab Spring aftermath and the Iranian sanctions).