The Best Stock Ideas Of 2015

After the S&P 500 roared back over the past six years following the Financial Crisis, the market took a break in 2015, finishing the year down 0.73 percent.

Shareholders of certain stocks, however, had a spectacular year. Many top performers were buyout beneficiaries in the M&A boom, while others simply dazzled with their business growth.

Here’s a look at the five best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 in 2015. Each of these five stocks gained more than 50 percent throughout the year.

5. Cablevision Systems Corporation CVC

Cablevision gained 55 percent on the year after the company agreed to a $10 billion buyout by European company Altice NV back in September. Despite the big gain, Cablevision shares remain priced below the agreed buyout price on concerns that the deal might not gain regulatory approval.

4. NVIDIA Corporation NVDA

Nvidia makes graphics processing units that give PC users incredibly vivid videogame images. Although the stock remains below its 2007 highs, it gained an impressive 64 percent in 2015.

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3. Activision Blizzard, Inc. ATVI

Already a powerhouse in the console videogame world with hits like “Call of Duty” and “World of Warcraft,” Activision took a big step into the mobile gaming world in 2015 by buying “Candy Crush” maker King Digital Entertainment PLC KING. The market certainly approved of the deal and sent Activision shares surging 92 percent on the year.

2. Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN

Not only did Amazon’s share price hit new all-time highs in 2015, it also logged two consecutive quarters of profitability and revealed the massive size of its cloud computing unit for the first time. Amazon’s stock spiked 118 percent on the year.

1. Netflix, Inc. NFLX

Netflix continued its aggressive spending on distribution and content expansion in 2015, and the market showed that it still has an appetite for growth over profits by making Netflix the top-performing stock in the S&P 500 in 2015. The stock climbed an incredible 134 percent on the year.

Disclosure: The author holds no position in the stocks mentioned.