The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has navigated a turbulent landscape in 2025. President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade agenda rattled global markets, causing the benchmark index to drop nearly 11% over two days following his announcement of “reciprocal tariffs” in early April. The index then rebounded and moved into positive territory for the year, driven by a better-than-expected Q1 earnings season and shifts in trade policy. Despite this extreme volatility, several standout stocks have captured Wall Street’s attention, delivering impressive gains and significantly outperforming the broader market.

As we approach the midpoint of the year, investors are increasingly focused on identifying which stocks have successfully weathered the storm — and more importantly, understanding why they’ve been able to surge despite widespread market volatility. In this article, we’ll take a close look at the top five best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 year-to-date: NRG Energy (NRG), Palantir Technologies (PLTR), Uber Technologies (UBER), Super Micro Computer (SMCI), and Howmet Aerospace (HWM).

With that, let’s dive deeper into each of these exceptional performers and uncover the dynamics driving their strong gains.

#1 Top-Performing S&P 500 Stock: NRG Energy

NRG Energy (NRG) is a prominent energy company based in Texas, engaged in electricity generation and sales, as well as home services, with over 7 million customers across 24 U.S. states and eight Canadian provinces. The company provides electricity generated from a mix of coal, oil, natural gas, solar energy, and battery storage. It also offers a broad array of services, including retail electricity and energy management, line and surge protection products, HVAC installation, and carbon offset programs. NRG’s market cap currently stands at $31.3 billion.

Shares of the independent power producer have rallied 79.3% on a year-to-date basis, earning it the title of the top-performing stock in the S&P 500 Index.

NRG stock recently experienced strong bullish momentum, soaring over 26% on May 12 after the company posted upbeat Q1 results and acquired a fleet of natural gas-fired power plants from LS Power Equity Advisors for about $12 billion, including debt. The acquisition doubled the company’s generation capacity to 25 GW and broadened its geographic reach, signaling its belief that fuel will play a key role in meeting electricity demand from data centers. Earlier this year, NRG Energy’s gains were also fueled by its role as a major beneficiary of the AI-driven surge in U.S. power demand. Notably, the company has been actively pursuing deals to capitalize on rising demand, including the acquisition of Rockland’s 738 MW natural gas assets in March and signing supply agreements earlier this year with two data center developers.

Overall, Wall Street analysts are optimistic about NRG Energy, assigning the stock a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating. Out of the 10 analysts covering the stock, seven recommend a “Strong Buy,” and three give a “Hold” rating. Notably, the stock trades above its mean price target but has 25.6% upside potential to the Street-high price target of $200.

#2 Top-Performing S&P 500 Stock: Palantir Technologies

With a market cap of $303.7 billion, Palantir Technologies (PLTR) develops and deploys software platforms for the intelligence community, commercial enterprises, and government entities around the globe. It offers a range of platforms, such as Palantir Gotham, Foundry, Apollo, and the Artificial Intelligence Platform.

Despite being hit by defense budget woes earlier this year, shares of the analytics software provider have soared 67.1% year-to-date, ranking it as the second-best performing stock in the S&P 500 Index.

Palantir was the top-performing stock in the S&P 500 in 2024 and has continued its strong momentum into this year. PLTR stock has benefited from expectations of growth in its AI-driven software business, as investors wager that it will continue to climb despite its high valuation. Palantir also serves as a major contractor for the federal government, especially the Department of Defense. With concerns over military funding cuts largely eased, Palantir is now viewed as having greater growth potential in that market. In addition, the stock was supported by easing global trade tensions following a 90-day pause on Trump’s sweeping reciprocal tariffs, a U.S. trade agreement with the U.K., and a trade truce between the U.S. and China.

Wall Street analysts maintain a cautious stance on PLTR stock, as indicated by a consensus “Hold” rating. The caution is partly due to Palantir’s lofty valuation, as the company is now the most expensive mega-cap in history. Among the 20 analysts offering recommendations for the stock, three rate it as a “Strong Buy,” 12 advise holding, one suggests a “Moderate Sell,” and four give a “Strong Sell” rating. The stock trades at a premium to its mean price target and offers a moderate 15.8% upside to the Street-high target of $150.

#3 Top-Performing S&P 500 Stock: Uber Technologies

Valued at a market cap of $192 billion, Uber Technologies (UBER) provides a platform that allows users to access transportation and food ordering services. The company is also making significant investments in autonomous driving technologies, which could potentially become a multibillion-dollar revenue stream in the future.

Shares of the world’s largest ride-hailing company have surged 53% year-to-date, placing it third among the top-performing stocks in the benchmark index.

Uber Technologies’ outperformance has been driven in part by its efforts to capitalize on the growing autonomous vehicle (AV) trend. UBER has an exclusive partnership with Waymo that allows users in Austin to get Waymo robotaxi rides through the Uber app — a collaboration that management says is progressing well. In addition to the Waymo deal, the continued growth of Uber’s robotaxi pipeline has contributed to the stock’s gains this year. For instance, Uber recently announced a partnership with China-based Pony AI (PONY) to deploy the company’s robotaxis on the Uber app, while also expanding its existing partnership with Chinese AV developer WeRide (WRD) to 15 additional cities outside the U.S. and China. Notably, the company now has a total of 18 partnerships with AV players. Also, Uber’s core business segments, Mobility and Delivery, continue to demonstrate solid performance, further bolstering its stock. Finally, easing global trade tensions contributed to the recent rally as well. 

Uber’s strong growth prospects are underscored by a consensus “Strong Buy” rating from Wall Street analysts. Out of the 48 analysts covering the stock, 35 recommend a “Strong Buy,” three suggest a “Moderate Buy,” and the remaining 10 assign a “Hold” rating. After the recent rally, the stock has a modest 4.4% upside potential to its average price target of $95.81, but still has considerable room to run toward the Street-high target of $115.

#4 Top-Performing S&P 500 Stock: Howmet Aerospace

With a market cap of $65.7 billion, Howmet Aerospace (HWM) is a global company specializing in defense and commercial aerospace. It serves as a contractor and subcontractor in defense aerospace — supporting programs like the F-35 and the U.S. Navy — while also engaging in non-contracted aerospace engineering across several areas, including engine products (its primary revenue driver), fastening systems, engineered structures, and forged wheels. The company was formed in 2020 through a spin-off from Arconic Corporation.

Shares of the maker of engines and airplane parts have gained 51.5% year-to-date, ranking it as the fourth-best performing stock in the S&P 500 Index.

Howmet Aerospace’s rally this year has been fueled by strong demand momentum in aerospace spare parts. Howmet is deeply embedded in the aerospace industry’s supply chain, with its components found in nearly every large aircraft, and no immediate alternatives available to replace them. With global passenger traffic rebounding, demand for new aircraft and replacement parts is growing, while rising defense budgets, particularly in the U.S. and NATO, are creating new growth opportunities for the company. Howmet recently boosted its 2025 profit forecast, citing continued strong demand for parts as engine and aircraft manufacturers have record-high backlogs.

Wall Street analysts are overwhelmingly bullish on HWM, awarding the stock a “Strong Buy” consensus rating. Of the 21 analysts covering the stock, 16 rate it a “Strong Buy,” one assigns a “Moderate Buy,” and the remaining four recommend holding. Unsurprisingly, the stock is trading above its mean price target but still offers a 11.4% upside to the Street-high target of $185.

#5 Top-Performing S&P 500 Stock: Super Micro Computer

Super Micro Computer (SMCI) is a California-based company that specializes in the development and manufacturing of high-performance server and storage solutions based on modular and open architecture. Its solutions include complete server and storage systems, modular blade servers, workstations, networking devices, server sub-systems, and accompanying management and security software. It has a market cap of $27.5 billion.

Shares of the AI server maker have climbed 48% year-to-date, making it the fifth-best performing stock in the S&P 500 Index.

The initial surge in Super Micro’s stock occurred in February, following a fiscal second-quarter business update where its long-term sales guidance significantly exceeded analysts’ expectations. It also reaffirmed its plan to file the delayed 10-K report with the Securities and Exchange Commission by Feb. 25. Just hours before the SEC deadline, Super Micro filed its audited 10-K report along with two delayed quarterly earnings reports, regaining Nasdaq Exchange compliance and fueling additional gains in the stock. The second wave of SMCI’s rally came last week, with the stock surging nearly 40% following the announcement of a multi-year partnership agreement with Saudi Arabia-based data center firm DataVolt. The agreement should “fast-track delivery of ultra-dense GPU platforms and rack systems for DataVolt’s hyperscale AI campuses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the US,” the company said in a statement.

Wall Street analysts have become more optimistic about Super Micro, as the stock now holds a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating — an improvement from a “Hold” rating it had just two months ago. Among the 16 analysts covering the stock, four recommend a “Strong Buy,” three assign a “Moderate Buy” rating, seven suggest a “Hold,” and the remaining two give a “Strong Sell” rating. Following last week’s rally, the stock trades slightly above its average price target but still has a 127% upside potential to the Street-high target of $100.