14 S&P 500 Stocks Just Made New 52-Week Highs
A small group of stocks reached new highs, but their underlying business stories vary widely.
Merck (MRK), a company with a market value of about $336.1 billion, is trading at a new 52-week high. It also trades at 105.8 times trailing earnings on revenue growth of 4.6%.
On a day when 14 S&P 500 stocks reached their strongest price of the last year, the central question is what kind of business performance supports these levels. The list is led by names from two industries: Asset Management & Custody Banks and Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing.
The Ten Largest At New Highs
- How Will Deere Stock React To Its Upcoming Earnings?
- 5 Red Days In A Row: Madison Air Solutions Stock Is Down 14%
- 9 Red Days In A Row: Ingersoll Rand Stock Is Down 10%
- 7 Green Days In A Row: Cenovus Energy Stock Is Up 15%
- Phillips 66 Stock Rides A 7-Day Winning Streak To A 20% Gain
- Suncor Energy Stock Climbs 13% On A 7-Day Winning Streak
The table below shows the 10 largest of the 14 names, sorted by market capitalization, with returns over four windows:
| Tickers | Market Cap |
1D % Chg |
1W % Chg |
1M % Chg |
1Y % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRK | $336.12 Bil | 0.1% | 3.9% | 6.6% | 69.8% |
| AMGN | $226.47 Bil | 1.0% | 0.5% | 14.5% | 48.8% |
| SBUX | $122.96 Bil | 0.2% | 3.7% | 2.9% | 19.7% |
| BNY | $113.54 Bil | 0.6% | 3.0% | 5.0% | 61.7% |
| MPC | $105.66 Bil | 0.8% | 11.8% | 14.6% | 125.0% |
| VLO | $103.46 Bil | 1.6% | 10.2% | 12.6% | 161.0% |
| PSX | $96.2 Bil | 2.4% | 11.0% | 15.7% | 101.6% |
| URI | $72.86 Bil | 1.0% | 2.6% | 11.6% | 27.4% |
| OKE | $60.12 Bil | 0.3% | 5.5% | 3.1% | 34.4% |
| STT | $53.75 Bil | 0.7% | 3.4% | 5.8% | 74.3% |
But are the businesses keeping pace with the stock prices?
Consider Amgen (AMGN). The stock has gained 14.5% over the last month, and the business shows 9.1% revenue growth over the last twelve months with a 30.0% operating margin. It trades at 25.9 times trailing earnings.
Elsewhere, Marathon Petroleum (MPC) from the Energy sector shows revenue growth of 15.0% and an operating margin of 7.5%, while trading at 12.1 times trailing earnings. These figures present a different picture of growth and valuation compared to others on the list.
What is the disciplined way to read this list?
Strength can be a persistent signal in the market. But a 52-week high is a price, not a final verdict on a company’s value. The price reflects a moment of optimism.
The disciplined next step is to look past the price and ask whether the business itself, through its growth and margins, truly earns its new valuation.
A new high tells you what the market already believes. The harder question is which of these runs management itself is underwriting. Our Guidance Momentum screen tracks exactly that: stocks where the company raised its own forward numbers.
Strength Is A Clue. It Is Not A Plan
A stock at its 52-week high has momentum on its side, and momentum is a real force. It is also the most crowded signal in the market, and the difference between a run that lasts and one that tops is always the business underneath.
Checking that business, across thousands of names, is how the Trefis High Quality (HQ) Portfolio is assembled: roughly 30 companies that pass the quality screens, rebalanced on 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. Let the highs point; let the discipline decide.