Buy.com, an Internet retailer that rose 93 percent the first day of trading, ranking it right in the middle of the group as measured by first-day performance, is now laying off workers and struggling to survive.

Its astounding 606 percent gain was the best first-day performance for any initial public offering, excluding the tiniest offerings, according to the Securities Data Company in Newark.

Broadcom's first-day performance in some measures surpassed that of the Internet software pioneer Netscape Communications, whose stock rose 108 percent in its first day.

Unfortunately, there is no particular relation between first-day performance and subsequent performance.

And after his first-day performance at the Masters today, the accolades will keep coming.

Speaking of surprises, the 28-year-old German veteran Markus Wasmeier had the fastest downhill run for a second straight day, 1:51.18, more than a second better than his first-day performance.

But the first-day performance of new issues should not be an investor's only guide.

Nonetheless, its first-day performance was lackluster.

The stock's first-day performance in some measures surpassed that of the Internet pioneer Netscape, which climbed 108 percent in its inaugural day in 1995.

KPE's first-day performance was lackluster, trading down 1.7% and trading volume was limited.