The S&P 500, represented by the SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF (SPY), achieved a gain of 25%, including dividends.
And while a handful of tech stocks have been making headlines for a while, the three most important stocks of 2024 might surprise you.
Two years ago, the top Big Money stocks included consumer, homebuilding and technology companies. This surprised some who expected technology to completely dominate.
But surprises come every year, including in 2024, since financial, industrial and technology stocks were in the lead last year.
However, these may not be the household names you know.
Let’s start with finances. The sector jumped 30% last year. One of its biggest winners was Apollo Global Management, Inc. (APO). Big Money generated a huge 79.8% gain for APO:
The money management company has a MAP score of 72.4 and a fundamental rating of 83%. Its earnings per share are expected to rise nearly 20% in a year, so Big Money’s interest is no surprise.
The second biggest stock of 2024 came from the industrial sector – government software company Palantir Technologies, Inc. (PLTR). This company took off in 2024, gaining 340% and integrating the S&P 500:
PLTR’s MAP score is 69, including a fundamental score of 75%. Better yet, the company’s earnings per share are expected to grow 23.8% year-over-year.
The final sector among the top stocks of 2024 is technology, but it may not be one of the names that most people care about. While the sector surged 21%, the Big Money winner was Arista Networks, Inc. (ANET), which nearly doubled in value last year:
ANET has a MAP score of 84.5, with a technical score of 82.4% and a fundamental score of 87.5%. This score is incredibly strong, reflecting market dynamics and high-quality activity.
Next year, ANET’s earnings per share are expected to grow 12%. And in case you’re wondering, ANET has been one of the best stocks at MAPsignals in years:
The title has been part of the MAPsignals Top 20 82 times since 2015. Is this its return to this era? A whopping 2,216%!
Big Money is putting its money to work now, even amid volatility.
And guess what? There will still be surprises in a year! Winners will emerge and Big Money is picking them as we speak.
MAPsignals spots Big Money flows. You can also spot them with a MAP.
If you are a serious investor, registered investment advisor (RIA), or fund manager looking for quality hedge fund research, get started today with a MAP PRO subscription.
Disclosure: The author does not hold any position with APO, PLTR, or ANET at the time of publication.