Best-Performing S&P Composite 1500 Stocks

Looking at the strongest stocks year to date reveals industry leadership and potential investment opportunities.

This month’s First Cut identifies the stocks in the S&P Composite 1500 index that have the highest price change during the first half of this year compared to their peers. We present the top-performing stocks segmented by the three components that constitute the S&P Composite 1500—the S&P 500 index, the S&P MidCap 400 index and the S&P SmallCap 600 index—allowing you to see how leadership varies by company size.

The 10 stocks with the best year-to-date price performance through June 30, 2025, for each index segment made the First Cut. While the half-year period is a relatively short time when compared to the investing horizon of most investors, it can be helpful to reveal current trends or industry leadership and identify potential investment opportunities. For example, continued world geopolitical tensions are boosting well-positioned security and defense companies.

The table below provides the price change for the first six months of the year as well as the price change over the last year. The price-earnings (P/E) ratio highlights the valuation of these stocks, while the recent growth rates reveal trends in top- and bottom-line growth. Median values for each index are provided for comparison.