We’re halfway through 2019—yes, really. With the Fourth of July holiday here, it’s time to take note of how stocks have done so far.
Here’s a look at the five companies with the best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 this year through the first half, which ended last week. The benchmark index gained 16.5% through June, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 13.9% and the Nasdaq Composite added 20.1%. Check out the five worst stocks so far this year here.
Coty
Coty stock (COTY) was up a whopping 89.2% through June. The parent company of Covergirl soared largely on a February offer from German conglomerate Jab Holding to boost its stake in the stock. A second spike came in May. But Coty stock fell 13.5% on the first day of the second half, when the company announced a $3 billion write-down on the multi-billion-dollar beauty business it acquired three years ago from Procter & Gamble , as well as a turnaround plan that failed to impress investors.
Xerox
Xerox stock (XRX) is up 75.5% through June, thanks to a huge surge after its first-quarter earnings report. Xerox has benefitted from better management of its software offerings under the new leadership of CEO John Visentin. It’s been one of a handful software and chip stocks to soar during this year’s market rally.