Stocks that recovered most from 2009's depths

• Investors that panicked in 2009 suffered big losses
• Coming off the bottom there were big gains to be had
• Biotech Regeneron is the big winner off the lows

USA TODAY markets reporter Matt Krantz answers a different reader question every weekday. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at mkrantz@usatoday.com.

Q: What stocks recovered the most from 2009's depths?

A: The stock market crash from the peak of 2007 left some permanents marks in the nerves, and portfolios, of investors who panicked.

Investors who bailed out of stocks the market lost more than half its value from the peak of July 2007, to the bottom on March 9, 2009, locked in some harrowing losses.

But investors with a long-term investment horizon, who had the courage or disciplined have been richly rewarded. The Standard & Poor's 500 index has soared more than 150% from those scary lows. Investors, though, with the luck or good fortune of holding onto the stocks that recovered most, scored some especially massive gains.

The biggest winner among the current S&P 500 from the depth of 2009 was Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. The company, which is developing a number of drugs including one for eye disease, soared more than 2,200% from March 9, 2009.

Following Regeneron on the biggest recovery list is Wyndham, the operator of hotels and resorts. Shares of Wyndham are up 1,800% from the lows of 2009. Rounding out the top three is broadcaster CBS, up nearly 1,700%. Patience is not just a virtue when it comes to investing. It's also a way to score some massive gains as some lucky investors have learned.