It’s not easy for a stock investor to beat the S&P 500 in any given year, and it’s even harder to do that regularly. Even Warren Buffett, who has beaten the market by huge margins over decades, hasn’t managed to do so every year.
That said,
» Read more about: Have $1,000? 3 Warren Buffett Stocks That Could Beat the S&P 500 in 2025 »
From the Federal Reserve to the Bureau of Economic Analysis to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are a variety of free federal sources journalists can turn to for high-quality data on the U.S.
» Read more about: If you report on the US economy, get to know these 8 data sources »
Let the good times roll. That’s the mantra for many investors as the new year begins. The S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) jumped 23% in 2024 after soaring 24% in 2023. Another gain of 20% or more this year would be fantastic.
How will the stock market perform in 2025?
» Read more about: How Will the Stock Market Perform in 2025? Here's What Wall Street Thinks. »
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) in November 2024.
» Read more about: Can 2024's Best-Performing Dow Jones Stock Beat the S&P 500 Again in 2025? »
It has been my custom for most of the past 27 years to write a column that summarizes the Social Security updates scheduled to take place in the new year. I already discussed some of these updates in October when they were announced, but it doesn’t hurt to repeat them here. (They all grow out of the annual cost-of-living adjustments that have been part of the program since 1973.)
Before I go on,
Congress passed the Social Security Fairness Act and President Joe Biden signed it into law in December. The bipartisan legislation expanded benefits to nearly 3 million Americans who for more than forty years “have had their earned retirement benefits unfairly cut.”
Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) in November 2024. So, technically, it was only in the index for a small portion of the year. But it was still, by far, the best-performing Dow stock in 2024 with a 171.2% return,
» Read more about: Can 2024's Best-Performing Dow Jones Stock Beat the S&P 500 Again in 2025? »
With the stock market hitting all-time highs on many occasions last year, investors have debated for months whether it is overvalued. Some believe the artificial intelligence (AI) trend is powerful enough to cast valuations aside and propel the market higher because AI could be just as disruptive as the advent of the internet, if not more so.
These investor-favorite stocks have been profitable for shareholders and still have a long runway ahead.
The S&P 500 is in the throes of a bull market that’s been running riot for more than two years now. The rally is currently taking a breather, but most experts believe there’s still upside ahead.
There’s no denying Tesla has been the centerpiece of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution to date. And rightfully so. It didn’t just bring EVs into the mainstream.
» Read more about: Meet the Monster EV Stock That Continues to Soar »