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#1 BW leads with +2,280% 52-week

BW (Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc.) is the best performing stock over the past 52 weeks. Following are WOLF (+1,306%) and BE (+1,286%). Top performing sectors: Industrials (+393% avg, 4 in top 10), Technology (+372% avg, 3 in top 10), Utilities (+297% avg, 1 in top 10).

Top Stock Gainers - Best Performing Stocks (52 Week)

Discover the best performing stocks over the past year. Our comprehensive ranking tracks public companies by their 52-week performance, filtered to include only stocks with a market cap exceeding $100 million traded on the Nasdaq and NYSE.

This ranking provides valuable insights for investors, traders, and market analysts seeking stocks that have significantly outperformed the market over the past year. Using split-adjusted price data ensures accuracy by accounting for stock splits and corporate actions.

Whether you're researching momentum stocks, analyzing sector trends, or building a growth-oriented portfolio, these performance rankings serve as a data-driven foundation for informed investment decisions.

What Are Stock Gainers?

Stock gainers are shares that have experienced significant price appreciation over a defined period. For this 52-week ranking, we measure the percentage change from a stock's price one year ago to its current price, revealing which companies have delivered the strongest returns to shareholders.

Looking for a specific Symbol?

Data as of May 13, 2026 at 11:26 AM EDT

Rank
Symbol
Company Name
52-Week Gain
Market Cap
Price
Country
Sector
1
2279.52%
2.69 B
$ 19.75
United States
Industrials
2
1306.28%
2.60 B
$ 53.72
United States
Technology
3
1286.12%
79.84 B
$ 280.69
United States
Industrials
4
945.76%
14.50 B
$ 40.68
United States
Industrials
5
625.7%
81.61 B
$ 577.15
United States
Technology
6
565.37%
2.67 B
$ 18.83
United States
Industrials
7
470.64%
119.21 M
$ 3.91
United States
Consumer Cyclical
8
457.07%
1.87 B
$ 11.42
Switzerland
Basic Materials
9
416.5%
926.46 M
$ 5.32
United States
Utilities
10
398.78%
16.25 B
$ 155.72
United States
Technology
11
386.59%
2.07 B
$ 16.69
United States
Energy
12
372%
215.87 M
$ 10.62
United States
Industrials
13
363.46%
73.17 B
$ 374.01
United States
Technology
14
331.29%
70.98 B
$ 2016.31
United States
Industrials
15
330.02%
11.95 B
$ 24.21
Canada
Basic Materials
16
329.44%
13.80 B
$ 20.57
United States
Basic Materials
17
321.7%
170.61 B
$ 198.24
United States
Technology
18
318.04%
746.44 M
$ 8.11
United States
Communication Services
19
310.31%
160.93 M
$ 9.15
United States
Communication Services
20
305.41%
1.50 B
$ 10.5
United States
Basic Materials
21
287.9%
884.04 M
$ 107.06
United States
Industrials
22
280.16%
9.51 B
$ 681.01
United States
Industrials
23
277.42%
1.63 B
$ 5.85
United States
Industrials
24
275.66%
3.30 B
$ 27.01
Canada
Energy
25
275.21%
6.49 B
$ 41.01
United States
Healthcare
26
272.12%
1.56 B
$ 26.16
Canada
Basic Materials
27
259.3%
4.87 B
$ 135.96
United States
Communication Services
28
255.9%
3.39 B
$ 11.46
Canada
Basic Materials
29
251.97%
8.55 B
$ 13.41
South Africa
Basic Materials
30
247.27%
140.05 M
$ 9.55
Netherlands
Technology
31
240.86%
1.39 B
$ 10.26
United States
Industrials
32
240.83%
628.41 M
$ 55.59
United States
Energy
33
236.48%
24.24 B
$ 205.52
United States
Basic Materials
34
236.41%
75.21 B
$ 34.28
Taiwan
Technology
35
235.34%
141.02 B
$ 367.13
United States
Industrials
36
230.13%
1.14 B
$ 85.57
United States
Technology
37
229.72%
43.01 B
$ 374.07
Canada
Technology
38
227.66%
1.90 B
$ 6.16
Bermuda
Energy
39
227.31%
7.12 B
$ 76.23
United States
Energy
40
227.19%
1.50 B
$ 40.31
United States
Industrials
41
224.15%
3.16 B
$ 63.08
United States
Energy
42
218.68%
10.77 B
$ 27.12
Canada
Basic Materials
43
214.33%
1.51 B
$ 101.97
Bermuda
Energy
44
211.15%
11.68 B
$ 65.59
United States
Basic Materials
45
211.11%
11.01 B
$ 19.04
Canada
Basic Materials
46
204.98%
274.95 M
$ 66.12
United States
Financial Services
47
202.42%
4.11 B
$ 33.69
Canada
Basic Materials
48
194.97%
9.75 B
$ 13.48
South Africa
Basic Materials
49
192.25%
3.74 B
$ 18.85
Canada
Basic Materials
50
191.57%
3.13 B
$ 24.9
United States
Healthcare
51
188.41%
3.53 B
$ 32.85
Canada
Basic Materials
52
183.74%
1.82 B
$ 48.52
Singapore
Consumer Cyclical
53
182.09%
26.87 B
$ 63.78
Canada
Basic Materials
54
180.38%
758.57 M
$ 16.15
Bermuda
Industrials
55
180.3%
22.73 B
$ 634.48
Cayman Islands
Technology
56
178.64%
286.19 B
$ 184.54
United Kingdom
Healthcare
57
177.13%
4.79 B
$ 91.84
Singapore
Utilities
58
172.94%
20.87 B
$ 20.17
United States
Basic Materials
59
172.26%
5.24 B
$ 32.1
United States
Basic Materials
60
170.88%
12.34 B
$ 21.67
United States
Financial Services
61
170.88%
3.57 B
$ 4.93
Canada
Energy
62
169.87%
626.35 M
$ 4.21
United States
Energy
63
169.55%
1.31 B
$ 28.06
United States
Energy
64
167.86%
9.67 B
$ 38.09
Peru
Basic Materials
65
167.16%
33.21 B
$ 420.3
United States
Industrials
66
167.15%
3.76 B
$ 145.92
Canada
Financial Services
67
167.04%
13.83 B
$ 277.94
United States
Technology
68
166.91%
4.54 B
$ 33.31
France
Basic Materials
69
166.28%
1.98 B
$ 16.11
United States
Energy
70
165.84%
5.42 B
$ 33.23
United States
Energy
71
164.41%
8.14 B
$ 159.44
United States
Industrials
72
163.96%
27.03 B
$ 94.63
Chile
Basic Materials
73
163.92%
2.82 B
$ 46.08
United States
Energy
74
163.9%
1.10 B
$ 99.12
United States
Industrials
75
162.91%
14.57 B
$ 276.27
United States
Consumer Cyclical
76
162.37%
4.24 B
$ 203.65
United States
Basic Materials
77
161.68%
52.75 B
$ 104.33
United States
Basic Materials
78
160.86%
420.12 B
$ 912.14
United States
Industrials
79
159.5%
1.63 B
$ 19.67
United States
Industrials
80
158.8%
1.83 B
$ 13.82
Luxembourg
Basic Materials
81
158.74%
73.52 B
$ 13.17
Finland
Technology
82
152.91%
530.79 M
$ 92.44
United States
Financial Services
83
150.3%
1.33 B
$ 70.66
United States
Financial Services
84
149.99%
27.61 B
$ 170.74
United Kingdom
Industrials
85
149.13%
1.92 B
$ 11.51
United States
Consumer Cyclical
86
149.07%
668.51 M
$ 33.55
United States
Industrials
87
147.66%
288.06 B
$ 1071.98
United States
Industrials
88
145.97%
127.78 B
$ 119.69
United States
Basic Materials
89
145.89%
6.73 B
$ 97.2
Bermuda
Energy
90
144.04%
988.34 M
$ 7.98
Germany
Consumer Cyclical
91
137.84%
1.30 B
$ 43.31
Greece
Energy
92
136.87%
632.57 M
$ 9.38
United States
Basic Materials
93
135.25%
7.30 B
$ 6.54
Switzerland
Energy
94
135.21%
37.89 B
$ 31.73
Canada
Basic Materials
95
133.61%
1.63 B
$ 49.35
United States
Basic Materials
96
133.34%
8.57 B
$ 232.64
United States
Industrials
97
133.08%
2.56 B
$ 77.57
United States
Industrials
98
132.77%
3.33 B
$ 31.89
Canada
Basic Materials
99
132.5%
29.18 B
$ 73.19
United States
Energy
100
132.39%
2.51 B
$ 70.53
United States
Financial Services
For the most accurate results, consider cross-referencing our data with other sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q What is the best performing stock over the past year?
A

BW (Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc.) is currently the best performing stock over the past 52 weeks with a gain of 2,280%. The top 3 performers are BW, WOLF, BE.

Q What stocks have gained the most in the past 52 weeks?
A

The top gaining stocks over 52 weeks include: BW (+2,280%), WOLF (+1,306%), BE (+1,286%), PL (+946%), CIEN (+626%). These rankings include US stocks traded on NYSE and NASDAQ with market caps over $100 million.

Q Which sectors have the best performing stocks?
A

The top performing sectors based on stock gains include Industrials, Technology. BW, the current leader with +2,280%, operates in the Industrials sector.

Q How are stock gainers calculated?
A

Stock gains are calculated using split-adjusted closing prices. The 52-week performance compares the current price to the price exactly 52 weeks ago, accounting for any stock splits or corporate actions during that period.

Importance of Identifying Top Performing Stocks

Recognizing the top-performing stocks in the market can be a valuable asset in an investor's toolkit, offering various strategic advantages:

  • Profit Potential: Stocks that have displayed significant growth often present lucrative opportunities for capital gains. Investing in these high-flyers can magnify your portfolio's overall returns, especially when they sustain their performance over extended periods.
  • Portfolio Diversification: Incorporating top gainers into your investment portfolio can introduce a growth dimension, potentially elevating your overall returns. This diversification can serve as a counterbalance to more conservative assets like bonds or dividend-paying stocks, making your portfolio more well-rounded.
  • Market Insights: Analyzing the factors behind a stock's exceptional performance can provide invaluable insights into prevailing market trends, industry dynamics, and consumer behavior. This knowledge can further inform your investment choices, allowing you to anticipate future market movements more effectively.

Risks Associated with Stock Gainers

While top-performing stocks hold significant promise, they also come with inherent risks that warrant careful consideration:

  • Market Volatility: Stocks that have posted substantial gains in the short term are often prone to extreme price volatility. High rewards usually come with high risks; these stocks can experience rapid declines just as quickly as they soared.
  • Risk of Overvaluation: One common pitfall of investing in top gainers is the risk of overvaluation. As more investors flock to these stocks, their prices may inflate beyond their intrinsic value, creating the potential for a market correction that can be detrimental to latecomers. If the market undergoes a correction, overpriced stocks are likely to be the hardest hit.
  • Short-Term Gains vs. Long-Term Viability: It's crucial to differentiate between stocks that are experiencing short-lived boosts due to temporary trends or market hype and those with a solid foundation for long-term growth. The former can be risky, as their growth may not be sustainable over extended periods.

Strategies for Investing in Top Stock Gainers

  • Momentum Investing:This strategy centers around buying stocks that have demonstrated strong recent performance, usually over the past three to twelve months, with the expectation that they will continue to perform well. Momentum investing relies heavily on technical analysis and market timing.
  • Growth Investing: In contrast, growth investing focuses on identifying companies that display strong future growth potential, irrespective of their current valuations. This approach often involves a thorough examination of a company's fundamentals, such as revenue growth, profit margins, and competitive positioning.
  • Risk Management: Regardless of the investment strategy, it's essential to implement risk mitigation techniques to safeguard your portfolio. Utilizing tools like stop-loss orders, diversification, and position sizing can protect against significant downside while allowing you to capitalize on potential gains.

Calculate Your Stock Returns

Curious how much a past investment in a top gainer would be worth today? Try our Stock Return Calculator to see historical performance for any stock. You can also use the Profit & Loss Calculator to evaluate potential trades before committing capital.