- Palantir leads the S&P 500 with a stunning 160% gain in Trump’s first 200 days.
- NRG Energy is the only stock to make the top 20 in both of Trump’s terms.
- Get more market-moving news first with AI-powered analysis that turns noise into opportunity.
President Donald Trump crossed a milestone last Friday as his second term reached the 200-day mark.
Though the ride has been anything but calm, the S&P 500 and most major sectors have managed to log gains in the volatile opening stretch of Trump 2.0.
Sector Performance
The S&P 500 has climbed 6.6% so far, trailing the 9% seen at the same point in Trump's first term, according to Bespoke Investment Group.
At the sector level, eight of 11 categories — Technology, Communication Services, Industrials, Utilities, Consumer Staples, Financials, Materials and Real Estate — are higher today.
Nine categories — Technology, Industrials, Utilities, Consumer Staples, Financials, Materials, Real Estate, Health Care and Consumer Discretionary — were higher during the opening months of Trump 1.0.
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For most groups, the gap between eras has been modest — but there are clear standouts. Communication Services is faring far better now, while Consumer Discretionary and Health Care are underperforming noticeably.
Tesla, Inc. TSLA stumbles have weighed heavily on discretionary stocks, despite the optimism around CEO Elon Musk immediately after Trump's re-election.
Stock Performance
Palantir Technologies, Inc. PLTR leads all names in the S&P 500 with a stunning 160% gain in Trump's first 200 days.
Dollar General Corp. DG holds the number two position, but lags behind Palantir by more than 90 points.
Tech companies dominate the winners' list with seven of the top 20 best-performing stocks, more than any other sector.
Trump's first term saw Align Technology, Inc. ALGN from the health care sector as the early standout, alongside Arista Networks, Inc. ANET and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. VRTX. Back then, Consumer Discretionary stocks featured most prominently among the top gainers.
The most surprising thread across both presidencies? Utilities.
NRG Energy, Inc. NRG delivered strong returns in each period and was the only stock to make the top 20 in both of Trump's terms.
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