In yesterday's BusinessWeek ,Ben Steverman picked out stocks with steady decline over the past three years to come up with his pick of the "dogs of Wall Street."

"Looking at the list of stocks, a few themes emerge. Nearly all these stocks are in very competitive industries. The competition is so fierce that any mistake—a flawed product, a failed acquisition, or a botched sales strategy—can involve a tough recovery."

Sprint Nextel (S), Lexmark International (LXK),and the Cooper Cos. (COO), have all had to deal with being the smaller fish in the pond.

The stocks on his list all seemed to be trying to turn the company around through investments in new lines, hiring new CEOs, and cutting costs, but at the end of the day:

"...the chance remains that most of these stocks will remain in the dog pound for years to come."