It’s been a strong year for US stocks, with the top-performing S&P 500 companies delivering remarkable gains fueled by AI-driven demand, commodity surges, and domestic manufacturing and trade policy tailwinds.
The storage and memory sector, including SanDisk, Western Digital, Seagate, and Micron, was among the year’s top performers due to increased investment in AI hardware.
As of late December, these companies rank among the top 10 best-performing stocks in the S&P 500.
SanDisk Corporation
Year-to-date gain: 552%
SanDisk (NASDAQ:SNDK), spun off from Western Digital to again be an independent public company in February, develops NAND flash memory, solid-state drives, and embedded storage solutions for consumer devices and enterprise data centers.
In 2025, SanDisk was a key driver of the storage sector’s explosive growth as AI data centers required exabyte-scale flash for training and inference. Partnerships with hyperscalers such as Microsoft Azure enabled production ramps, while innovations like 232-layer QLC flash reduced costs and boosted margins.
Western Digital
Year-to-date gain: 292%
Western Digital Corp (NASDAQ:WDC) manufactures HDDs, SSDs, and flash memory products for consumer, enterprise, and cloud storage.
Strong demand for both NAND flash and HDDs used in AI training datasets and enterprise archival storage fueled its growth this year. Multi-year agreements with Nvidia for enterprise SSDs, expansion of Malaysian and Chinese production facilities, and a diversified approach to US-China trade tensions helped sustain revenue growth.
Seagate Technology
Year-to-date gain: 227%
Seagate Technology Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:STX) designs HDDs, SSDs, and storage systems optimized for enterprise, cloud, surveillance, and AI cold storage applications.
Seagate has captured significant hyperscale market share through the launch of 30TB+ Exos drives using energy-efficient Mozaic technology. Resilient supply chains following 2024 floods, along with multi-billion-dollar contracts from AWS and Alibaba, drove robust revenue growth. The company’s Mozaic 3 platform improved data center efficiency, supporting strong margins despite raw material cost pressures.
Robinhood Markets
Year-to-date gain: 226%
Robinhood Markets Inc (NASDAQ:HOOD), which joined the S&P 500 in September, operates a commission-free trading platform for stocks, options, cryptocurrencies, and prediction markets, serving a growing international base.
Its growth in 2025 was fueled by a retail trading boom, crypto resurgence, and global expansion through its Singapore headquarters and EU tokenized stock offerings. Funded accounts reached 27 million, while new products, including the AI-driven advisor Pluto and prediction markets, contributed to diversified revenue streams beyond US equities.
Micron Technology
Year-to-date gain: 224%
Micron Technology Inc (NASDAQ:MU) produces DRAM, NAND flash, and high-bandwidth memory for computing, mobile, automotive, and AI applications.
In 2025, Micron supplied 70% of Nvidia’s Blackwell GPU memory needs, expanded Idaho fabs under CHIPS Act support, and recovered from prior fabrication delays. Price increases for DRAM and strong demand from automotive and edge AI applications drove record shipments and margins, while strategic partnerships with AMD mitigated cyclical risks.
Newmont Corporation
Year-to-date gain: 182%
Newmont Corporation (NYSE:NEM, TSX:NGT, ASX:NEM, XETRA:NMM), a leading gold and copper mining company, benefited from gold prices surpassing $3,000 per ounce amid inflation hedges, Federal Reserve pauses, and central bank accumulation.
Operational improvements at Nevada’s Tanami and Australia’s Cadia mines reduced costs, while the Peacock acquisition added significant reserves. Sustainable ESG initiatives attracted sovereign fund investments, supporting both production growth and long-term operational resilience.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Year-to-date gain: 171%
Warner Bros Discovery Inc (NASDAQ:WBD, XETRA:J5A) creates and distributes films, television, streaming content, news, and sports programming through brands including Max, CNN, HBO, and DC Universe.
In 2025, the company’s turnaround at Max drove profitability with 110 million subscribers, while strategic bundling and DC reboots enhanced engagement. Retention of NBA rights, targeted asset sales, and a rebound in advertising revenue from sports and election coverage contributed to improved margins and reduced debt.
Palantir Technologies
Year-to-date gain: 155%
Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR) develops Foundry and Gotham platforms for integrating and analyzing complex datasets across government, defense, and commercial sectors.
Growth in 2025 was supported by over $2 billion in US defense contracts, rapid enterprise adoption in healthcare and energy, and international deals in the UK and Europe. AI bootcamps accelerated client onboarding, contributing to strong revenue growth, operational scale, and margin expansion.
Lam Research
Year-to-date gain: 143%
Lam Research Corporation (NASDAQ:LRCX, XETRA:LAR) supplies semiconductor fabrication equipment for etching, deposition, and cleaning processes essential to advanced chip production.
Strong demand for equipment supporting 2nm nodes and US fab expansions drove growth, while high-aspect-ratio etch technology and supply chain localization helped Lam mitigate trade risks. New contracts with TSMC and Intel reinforced market leadership and supported strong gross margins.
AppLovin Corporation
Year-to-date gain: 125%
AppLovin Corp (NASDAQ:APP), a November addition to the S&P 500, provides AI-powered mobile app marketing, monetization, and analytics platforms for gaming and e-commerce developers.
In 2025, the company leveraged AXON ad optimization, acquisitions such as Adjust, and partnerships with Unity to expand into e-commerce advertising. Strong product adoption, revenue growth, and 52% EBITDA margins reflected the company’s scale and operational efficiency in a competitive mobile ecosystem.