Investing.com – Despite a difficult end to the year, 2024 was another year of strong growth for the , which grew by around 23%.
However, these gains were not evenly distributed: the best-performing sector, communications services, jumped more than 40%, while the laggardest sector, materials, fell by almost 2%.
In this article, we’ll take stock of the biggest gains and most impressive falls for S&P 500 stocks last year, then assess their prospects for this year 2025.
Top 3 biggest risers among S&P 500 stocks in 2024
Below, check out the 3 S&P 500 stocks that posted the biggest gains last year:
- Palantir: +340.5% in 2024
- Vistara: +257.9% in 2024
- Nvidia (NASDAQ:) : +171.2% in 2024
Let us first note that Palantir, which posted the largest increase of all S&P 500 stocks in 2025, is now considered largely overvalued by analysts and valuation models. Indeed, the average analyst objective translates into a downside risk of 45.1%, while the InvestingPro Fair Value, which synthesizes several valuation models, indicates that the stock has exceeded its theoretical value by more than 46%.
As for Nvidia and Vistra, analysts seem to think that the shares can further increase their rise, but Fair Value calls for more caution.
Finally, all three stocks enjoy strong health scores, suggesting that any corrections will be buying opportunities.
Top 3 biggest declines among S&P 500 stocks in 2024
Here are the 3 S&P 500 stocks that fell the most in 2024:
- Walgreens Boots Alliance : -64.5% en 2024
- Intel (NASDAQ:) : -60.6% in 2024
- Modern: -60.4% in 2024
Despite a drop of more than 64% this year, both analysts and valuation models consider Walgreens Boots Alliance to be fairly valued. In addition, its low health score reflects financial weakness which should encourage distrust.
As for Moderna, analysts give it solid upside potential of over 44%, while Fair Value sees upside potential of just over 8%. Intel for its part should grow by 10.5% according to Fair Value and by 24.7% according to the average analyst target.
What are the best S&P 500 stocks to consider for 2025?
If you are looking for the best S&P 500 stocks to buy for 2025, there are probably better opportunities than the 6 stocks discussed in this article. Moreover, it is futile to try to predict the evolution of stock markets in the long term, as modern markets are unpredictable and the influences are diverse.
Nowadays, investors must regularly reassess their portfolios, which requires constant monitoring of news and markets, as well as almost constant analytical work.
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