A new bull market for the Nasdaq has kicked off — and some S&P 500 stocks are already taking off.
Eight stocks in the S&P 500, including NRG Energy, Microchip Technology and Palantir Technologies, have shot up 55% or more since the Nasdaq started a new bull market on April 8. The Nasdaq is up 20% from its April low.
"A more favorable outcome from the U.S.-China trade talks over the May 10-11 weekend triggered a single-day tsunami of optimism that swamped the icebergs of uncertainty and pushed the S&P 500 above its 200-day moving average and enabled the Nasdaq-100 to close more than 20% above its April 8 low, signaling the start of a new bull market," said Sam Stovall of CFRA.
Stocks Race Back
Seeing gains of 60%, 70% or even 80% is definitely not the norm. The S&P 500 itself is up 19.6% from April 8. But savvy investors are finding these standouts.
Houston-based utility NRG Energy has seen shares boom 87.2% from the April 8 low. That gives the stock a near-perfect RS Rating of 98. Investors are getting in well ahead of the profit gains. Analysts think the utility's EPS will fall 9% this year, but rise 10% in 2026.
Tech Has Some Big Winners
More than half the S&P 500 moonshots from the low are in the technology sector.
Microchip Technology is another wait-and-see winner. Shares are up 71.1% from the April 8 low. It's a huge move for the diversified semiconductor maker. Analysts don't see much in terms of EPS growth this fiscal year, 4%, but expect 85% growth in fiscal 2027. The stock's EPS rank is just 15 now. The stock is benefiting from the easing of tariffs with China.
A better-known winner is high-tech defense firm, Palantir. The stock rocketed 64% from the April low, pushing its RS Rating to 99. The company is well positioned to win government contracts. Analysts see 42% EPS growth this year and 26% in 2026.
It's unclear if the S&P 500's upward trajectory will stick. But investors — for now — don't seem to mind.
Top S&P 500 Stocks Since April 8
| Company | Ticker | Bull % gain | Sector |
|---|---|---|---|
| NRG Energy | NRG | 87.2% | Utilities |
| Microchip Technology | MCHP | 71.1% | Information Technology |
| Palantir Technologies | PLTR | 64.1% | Information Technology |
| Seagate Technology | STX | 63.8% | Information Technology |
| Western Digital | WDC | 60.5% | Information Technology |
| Constellation Energy | CEG | 58.0% | Utilities |
| Dell Technologies | DELL | 57.5% | Information Technology |
| GE Vernova | GEV | 55.1% | Industrials |
