For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – April 1, 2025– Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Philip Morris (PM – Free Report) , CVS Health (CVS – Free Report) and Newmont (NEM – Free Report) .
3 Best-Performing S&P 500 Stocks of Q1 2025
We’re nearing the end of the calendar-year Q1, with many S&P 500 stocks delivering strong performances year-to-date despite recent volatility stemming from tariff talks and other economic developments.
And concerning the all-star performers, Philip Morris, CVS Health and Newmont all reflect top-performing S&P 500 stocks. Let’s take a closer look at what’s been driving the positivity.
PM Pays Shareholders Handsomely
Philip Morris shares have benefited nicely from its latest set of better-than-expected results, with EPS growing 14% alongside a strong 7% move higher in sales. Demand has remained strong for the tobacco titan, with product innovations remaining key for its future.
Notably, smoke-free products exceeded 40 billion units for the first time throughout its FY24, with full-year net revenues for its Smoke-free Business (SFB) increasing by 14.2% alongside an 18.7% move higher in gross profit.
Shares also provide a high level of passive income, currently yielding a market-beating 3.5% annually. Dividend growth has been rock-solid, with PM also holding the ranks of a Dividend King.
CVS Finally Bounces Back
CVS shares have bounced back big in 2025, up 50% so far and snapping a years-long decline for the stock. Its recent set of quarterly results perked shares up nicely, with the company seeing a 4% year-over-year sales increase alongside a 44% decline in EPS.
Rising costs have been a significant challenge for the company, contributing to the aforementioned profitability crunch. But it’s worth noting that analysts have taken a bullish stance on the company’s upcoming quarterly results expected in early May, with the current $1.62 per share consensus estimate up 12% over recent months.
The estimate reflects 23% year-over-year EPS growth, with sales also expected to increase by 5% from the year-ago period.
Newmont Benefits from Gold Surge
Colorado-based Newmont is one of the world’s largest producers of gold, owning several active mines in Nevada, Peru, Australia, and Ghana. The surge in gold prices has been a driving factor behind the stock’s strong YTD performance, up nearly 30%.
Notably, the average gold price per oz reached $2,643 throughout its latest period, melting higher from the $2,004 mark in the same period last year. Free cash flow of $1.6 billion throughout the period was the company’s highest read ever.
Below is a chart illustrating NEM’s free cash flow on a quarterly basis. The amplified cash-generating abilities are a huge positive, allowing the company to shell out dividend payments or pay down any debt.
Bottom Line
The 2025 calendar-year Q1 is nearing its end with the close of March. Several stocks have delivered notably strong performances in 2025 so far.
Interestingly enough, none of the group above belong to the tech sector, likely a side effect of recent fears that have thrown cold water on the AI frenzy.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
