In this article, we will discuss the 10 Best Performing S&P 500 Stocks So Far in 2026.
On April 22, Andrew Slimmon, Morgan Stanley Investment Management Senior Portfolio Manager, joined CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the latest market trends. Slimmon described the current stock market as pivoting between strong micro fundamentals and concerning macro headwinds. He highlighted that 2026 has been one of the best years in memory for earnings revisions, which he considers a powerful signal for the market. However, this positive news is being weighed against a noise of macro worries, including the war with Iran, AI disruption, and private credit. He noted that while these concerns recently caused a 9% market decline, the subsequent 12% rally indicates that investors are struggling to decide which factor should take precedence.
When discussing market valuation, Slimmon argued that at the end of the year, investors will shift their focus toward the consensus earnings estimate for 2027, which currently sits at $375 per share, a significant increase from $357 at the start of the year. He considers a P/E multiple of 20 reasonable, even if interest rates remain elevated. By multiplying these figures, Slimmon arrived at a target of roughly 7,500 for the S&P 500. He contrasted this with the market’s position a few weeks prior at 6,300, noting that at the current level of 7,100, the market appears overbought. Nevertheless, Slimmon viewed geopolitical washouts as buying opportunities, as he does not believe a 20x multiple is expensive for current market conditions.
Our Methodology
We used screeners to identify S&P 500 stocks that have exhibited strong year-to-date share price performance (at least 40%), and limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. These stocks are also popular among analysts and elite hedge funds.
Note: All data was sourced on April 27.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
10 Best Performing S&P 500 Stocks So Far in 2026
10. SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB)
Year-to-Date Performance: 44.74%
SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) is one of the best performing S&P 500 stocks so far in 2026. On April 24, SLB reported its Q1 2026 financial results, highlighted by a 3% year-on-year revenue increase to $8.72 billion. This growth was fueled by the integration of ChampionX, which contributed $838 million to the top line. However, the quarter was marked by geopolitical headwinds, specifically widespread disruptions in the Middle East that led to the demobilization of operations.
Excluding the ChampionX acquisition, global revenue actually declined by 7% compared to the previous year, reflecting a challenging start to 2026 as customers took action to safeguard personnel and facilities. Furthermore, GAAP EPS fell 14% year on year to $0.50, while adjusted EBITDA decreased 12% to $1.77 billion. These declines were most pronounced in the Well Construction and Reservoir Performance divisions, which were hit hardest by the Middle East conflict and associated pricing headwinds.
Despite these pressures, the Digital segment showed resilience with a 9% revenue increase, supported by $1.02 billion in ARR and an expanding technology collaboration with NVIDIA to develop AI infrastructure for the energy industry. Looking ahead, SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) leadership anticipates a gradual rebalancing of global liquid supply and demand through 2027.
SLB N.V. (NYSE:SLB) provides technological solutions for the energy sector. Its portfolio includes carbon management & production, stimulation services, various drilling services, and more. It is also involved in the development & production of roller-cone and fixed-cutter drill bits, as well as several tech-based intelligent systems.
9. Jabil Inc. (NYSE:JBL)
Year-to-Date Performance: 48.93%
Jabil Inc. (NYSE:JBL) is one of the best performing S&P 500 stocks so far in 2026. On April 15, Sivers Semiconductors announced a collaboration with Jabil to develop a 1.6T linear receive optical/LRO transceiver module designed for next-gen hyperscale AI data centers. This partnership uses Sivers’ high-performance Distributed Feedback/DFB lasers to create a solution that delivers exceptional data speeds while significantly reducing power consumption.
The new module offers a 2.5x lower energy footprint compared to traditional alternatives, addressing a critical need for energy efficiency in scaling AI infrastructure. The collaboration is timed to capitalize on a rapidly expanding market, with industry reports projecting that 800G and higher-speed optical transceivers will account for 80% of the pluggable market by 2030. As data centers face increasing pressure to provide higher bandwidth without a proportional increase in power usage, Jabil intends to use Sivers’ photonics expertise to meet these performance and sustainability targets at scale.
The 1.6T LRO transceiver is specifically engineered to support the high-density, low-power requirements essential for modern AI clusters. By combining Jabil Inc.’s (NYSE:JBL) global engineering and manufacturing capabilities with Sivers’ precision laser technology, the partners aim to accelerate the deployment of greener data economy solutions.
Jabil Inc. (NYSE:JBL) offers electronics and diversified manufacturing services, including engineering, supply chain, and production solutions across global markets through its EMS and DMS operating segments.
8. Dow Inc. (NYSE:DOW)
Year-to-Date Performance: 62.33%
Dow Inc. (NYSE:DOW) is one of the best performing S&P 500 stocks so far in 2026. On April 23, Dow reported Q1 2026 financial results, characterized by a 6% year-on-year decline in net sales to $9.8 billion. This drop was driven by a 7% decrease in local prices and a 2% dip in overall volume, largely due to disruptions in the Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure segment caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
While Performance Materials & Coatings remained flat, other segments saw notable declines as the company navigated global supply constraints and planned maintenance on the US Gulf Coast. The company’s bottom line reflected these challenges, with a GAAP net loss of $445 million and an operating loss per share of $0.14. Operating EBIT stood at $154 million, down $76 million from the previous year, as lower market prices pressured margins. However, these losses were partially mitigated by Dow’s aggressive cost-reduction program and the strategic suspension of equity loss recognition for Sadara.
Looking ahead, the CEO Jim Fitterling highlighted a positive inflection in margins starting in March, driven by global supply constraints and Dow’s self-help pricing actions. Despite the volatile macroeconomic environment and geopolitical risks, Dow Inc. (NYSE:DOW) remains focused on leveraging its Americas manufacturing footprint and European feedstock flexibility to drive growth and improve shareholder returns, having distributed $252 million in dividends this quarter.
Dow Inc. (NYSE:DOW) is a global materials science company. The company operates through three primary segments: Packaging & Specialty Plastics, Industrial Intermediates & Infrastructure, and Performance Materials & Coatings.
7. Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA)
Year-to-Date Performance: 66.40%
Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) is one of the best performing S&P 500 stocks so far in 2026. On April 21, the European Commission granted marketing authorization for mCOMBRIAX (mRNA-1083), making it the world’s first mRNA combination vaccine for influenza and COVID-19 to receive such approval. Authorized for adults aged 50 and older, the single-dose vaccine is valid across all 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
This milestone marks Moderna’s fourth authorized product, aiming to simplify immunization schedules and reduce the burden on healthcare systems by protecting against two major respiratory viruses simultaneously. The approval is supported by pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial data involving approximately 8,000 adults. The study met all primary endpoints, showing that mRNA-1083 elicited statistically significantly higher immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 and three influenza strains (A/H1N1, A/H3N2, and B/Victoria) compared to co-administered licensed flu and COVID-19 vaccines.
Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) plans to roll out mCOMBRIAX across the EU following national regulatory and access procedures. The vaccine builds on the technology used in Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine (mNEXSPIKE) and its seasonal influenza candidate (mRNA-1010).
Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) makes mRNA medicines and vaccines to protect against illnesses like the flu, COVID-19, and some other viruses. The company also works on treatments for cancer and rare diseases.
6. Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE:KEYS)
Year-to-Date Performance: 67.11%
Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE:KEYS) is one of the best performing S&P 500 stocks so far in 2026. On March 25, Keysight introduced two new receiver compliance test solutions designed to secure the reliability of high-speed in-vehicle networks. These tools support the industry’s shift toward software-defined vehicles and zonal architectures by enabling rigorous validation across a spectrum of speeds, from 10BASE-T1S up to 10GBASE-T1.
As data-intensive applications grow, these solutions address the mission-critical need for receiver/Rx testing to ensure safety-standard communication within the vehicle. The first of these innovations is the 10BASE-T1S Receiver Test Solution, developed in partnership with BitifEye Digital Test Solutions. It provides automated compliance software specifically for multi-drop Ethernet architectures, allowing engineers to verify signal integrity under harsh conditions like coupled noise and impaired channels.
Additionally, Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE:KEYS) debuted its nGBASE-AU Optical Automotive Ethernet testbed, which focuses on the high-bandwidth and EMI-resilient requirements of future platforms. Fully compliant with IEEE 802.3cz standards, this optical solution includes an advanced measurement suite for assessing signal quality in long-reach communications.
Keysight Technologies Inc. (NYSE:KEYS) is a leading American company providing electronic design, emulation, and test solutions to support innovation in the communications, aerospace, defense, automotive, semiconductor, and general electronics markets.
While we acknowledge the potential of KEYS to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than KEYS and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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