The S&P 500 is down a staggering $3.2 trillion in the market implosion since mid-July. But some investors are dodging the pain and even making a tidy sum.
Thirteen S&P 500 stocks, including AbbVie, UnitedHealth and Meta Platforms, gained a collective $200 billion in market value since the market's recent high on July 16, says an Investor's Business Daily analysis of data from S&P Global Market Intelligence and MarketSurge.
Such significant gains in the face of a massive loss for the S&P 500 at large is a powerful reminder that investors need to always look for opportunities — even as others are panicking and bailing out.
"Although August isn't known for providing the last gasp of market volatility, it's still important to survey the damage to ascertain if there was the kind of blowup — typically underscored by excessive leverage — that leads to a chain reaction triggered by contagion," said Quincy Krosby, Chief Global Strategist for LPL Financial.
Health Care Helps The S&P 500
Not surprisingly, more defensive sectors in the S&P 500 have stepped up during the sell-off. Health care certainly fits that pattern.
More than half the biggest market value gainers since July 16 are in the health care sector. And that includes the top gainer, AbbVie. The maker of medical treatments has risen nearly 10% since mid-July. And that's put $29.2 billion into investors' portfolios. The stock is also rising in the IBD ratings ranks. AbbVie now sports a Relative Strength of 89 and Composite Rating of 83.
Another health care firm putting up big numbers is UnitedHealth. The medical insurer's shares are up more than 3% since the S&P 500 topped out. And that's added nearly $18 billion in market value.
The Magnificent Meta
Most of the Magnificent Seven stocks are down big since mid-July. Nvidia is down the most on a market value basis. But at least one of the seven is hanging tough.
Social media king Meta Platforms has seen its stock rise nearly 1% from mid-July. That added $10.7 billion in market value. Meta still has a Composite Rating of 95. No, that doesn't help much with the trillions lost on just the largest S&P 500 stocks. But it is a reminder of how leaders still emerge from any kind of market.
And this AI-led sell-off is no different.
Top Market Value Gainers In S&P 500
Since July 16 high
| Company | Ticker | Ch. from 7/16 | Market value gained ($ billions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AbbVie | 9.8% | $29.1 | |
| Johnson & Johnson | 5.3% | $19.1 | |
| UnitedHealth Group | 3.5% | $17.9 | |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific | 8.4% | $17.8 | |
| Lockheed Martin | 15.6% | $17.3 | |
| Coca-Cola | 5.9% | $16.2 | |
| RTX | 10.3% | $14.2 | |
| Philip Morris International | 7.6% | $12.5 | |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb | 14.8% | $12.3 | |
| Danaher | 6.7% | $12.1 | |
| 3M | 20.9% | $11.8 | |
| Abbott Laboratories | 6.6% | $11.7 | |
| Meta Platforms | 0.9% | $10.7 |
