The 52-Week-High List: 32 S&P 500 Names On Wednesday
Strength is showing up in some of the market’s largest and fastest-moving names.
Strength is clustered today, with Diversified Banks, Aerospace & Defense, and Electrical Components & Equipment each placing 3 names on the list. In total, 32 S&P 500 stocks reached their strongest price of the last year. The list includes giants like Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B), with a market value of about $1119.3 billion, alongside Zebra Technologies (ZBRA), which is up 39.4% over the last month.
The central question is what kind of strength this is: a slow grind higher for titans, or a sharp repricing for growth? The names below tell the story.
The 10 Largest, By Market Cap
The table below shows the 10 largest of the 32 names, sorted by market capitalization, with returns over four windows:
| Tickers | Market Cap |
1D % Chg |
1W % Chg |
1M % Chg |
1Y % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRK-B | $1,119.3 Bil | 0.3% | 1.9% | 2.9% | 13.0% |
| JPM | $975.8 Bil | 0.5% | 4.2% | 5.9% | 24.4% |
| BAC | $458.9 Bil | 0.6% | 3.6% | 5.7% | 41.0% |
| GE | $396.5 Bil | 1.0% | 8.7% | 3.9% | 38.7% |
| RTX | $300.3 Bil | 2.0% | 3.3% | 10.7% | 43.5% |
| ANET | $248.2 Bil | 3.6% | 24.9% | 18.5% | 63.9% |
| AMGN | $220.2 Bil | 4.6% | 5.2% | 10.8% | 39.1% |
| SCHW | $188.6 Bil | 1.6% | 3.4% | 6.0% | 12.7% |
| ETN | $173.6 Bil | 0.6% | 23.6% | 13.0% | 17.6% |
| HWM | $116.9 Bil | 1.1% | 6.8% | 5.8% | 61.2% |
Which names show growth that matches the price?
Look at the Aerospace & Defense cluster. GE Aerospace (GE) is at a new high while trading at 44.2 times trailing earnings. That price is supported by revenue that grew 21.7% over the last twelve months and an operating margin of 18.7%. Similarly, RTX (RTX) trades at 38.8 times trailing earnings as its revenue grew 11.8% over the same period, with an operating margin of 11.2%. These are valuations that demand continued business expansion.
So how should I use this list?
A 52-week high is a fact, not a verdict. It signals that a stock is working, and strong trends often continue. But a price is not a business. The disciplined next step is to ask whether the underlying fundamentals justify the new, higher valuation. The list is a screen for strength, creating a starting point for research into whether the business truly earns its level.
Before chasing any name on this list, ask what the company itself expects next. Our Guidance Momentum screen surfaces the stocks whose managements just raised their own outlooks, which is the momentum that tends to have staying power.
Chasing Highs Is A Reflex. Owning Strength Is A System
A 52-week-high list is seductive: everything on it has been going right. But buying a stock because it is at its high is buying a price, and prices revert; what persists is the quality underneath the run.
The Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio is built to own that quality before and after it makes headlines: roughly 30 businesses selected for consistent cash generation, strong margins, and resilient balance sheets, sized and rebalanced with rules. It has a track record of outpacing a benchmark that combines the three major indices – the S&P 500, S&P Mid-cap, and Russell 2000. Admire the list; own the system.