On Wednesday, the S&P 500 lost its earlier gains and ended the session lower, dropping by 0.12%. The Dow Jones fell by 0.38%. However, the Nasdaq Composite ended the session with a 0.15% gain.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested on Wednesday that the Fed is not ready to cut rates yet. Powell said that the central bank has not made any decisions about changes to the policy in September. He stated:
“Higher tariffs have begun to show through more clearly to prices of some goods, but their overall effects on economic activity and inflation remain to be seen.”
The major indexes had started the day mostly in the green because of a better-than-expected GDP report, which indicated to some that the economy might be handling the higher tariffs well. However, after Powell’s comments about the Fed still watching how tariffs affect inflation and economic activity, the markets gave up gains to close lower.
This was the second day of losses for Wall Street, and it comes after six record-setting days for the S&P 500.
Stocks
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the 12 best-performing stocks in the last 6 months, we used the Finviz stock screener. We narrowed down our list by looking for stocks with a market capitalization of more than $2 billion and sorted our results based on 6-month performance. Finally, we ranked the 12 best-performing stocks in ascending order based on their 6-month performance as of July 29, 2025.
Additionally, we mentioned the hedge fund sentiment surrounding the best-performing stocks, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s Q1 2025 database of 1,000 elite hedge funds.
Why do we care about what hedge funds do? 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 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
12 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 6 Months
12. Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE)
6-Month Performance: 127.18%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 24
Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE) is one of the best-performing stocks in the last 6 months. On July 29, B. Riley increased its price target for Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE) from $239 to $277 while keeping a “Buy” rating.
According to the research firm, Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE) is in a strong position to benefit from neo-banking adoption, which continues to grow.
B. Riley’s analyst Hal Goetsch told investors in a research note that the shares are “far too cheap” for a company like Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE), which has become a rapidly growing and scaling fintech business.
Dave Inc. (NASDAQ:DAVE) is a leading US neobank and fintech company that uses disruptive technologies to provide best-in-class banking services at much lower costs than traditional banks. The company offers services like ExtraCash advances, budgeting tools, job search assistance, and a digital checking account.
11. Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE:SBSW)
6-Month Performance: 140.16%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 20
Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE:SBSW) is one of the best-performing stocks in the last 6 months. On July 21, Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE:SBSW) reported that it has entered into an agreement to purchase Metallix Refining for a cash consideration of $82 million. The enterprise value of this deal is $105 million.
Metallix produces recycled precious metals, including gold, silver, and platinum group metals (PGMs), mainly from industrial waste streams. Metallix runs two processing and recycling plants in Greenville, North Carolina.
This acquisition will complement Sibanye Stillwater Limited’s (NYSE:SBSW) recycling operations in Montana and Pennsylvania. The deal will improve the company’s global recycling reach and its ability to source materials from different regions.
According to the latest audited financial information, Metallix Refining is already making a profit and generating cash. Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE:SBSW) expects the acquisition to contribute positively to its earnings and cash flow immediately. The company expects to complete the acquisition in the third quarter of 2025.
Sibanye Stillwater Limited (NYSE:SBSW) is a multinational mining and metals processing company. It has a diverse portfolio of operations, projects, and investments across five continents.
