The 8 Best Performing Dow Stocks of 2015

Industrials

Published: December 22, 2015 9:15 am

Last Updated: January 13, 2020 3:49 pm

24/7 Wall St. has put together a look the top eight Dow stocks of 2015 ahead of Christmas this year. These stocks have made stellar performances, but they have obviously gone above and beyond the performance of the market, especially with the flat year that we have had so far.

Over the course of the past year, all of these top Dow Jones Industrial Average stocks have outperformed the broad markets. Each of these stocks has risen for different reasons.

Nike

Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) was the absolute best performer on the year thus far. The secret to Nike’s success in 2015 was the strengthening U.S. dollar. And over the course of the year, cheaper imports from this sports apparel giant led to higher margins across the board. Further pumped up by strong earnings reports, Nike was a force to be reckoned with in 2015.

In the past year, Nike stock has risen 36.4%. Shares of Nike closed Monday at $129.80, with a consensus analyst price target of $142.86 and a 52-week trading range of $90.69 to $135.30. Looking ahead to 2016 earnings, the company has a multiple of 26.3, compared to the current price.

McDonald’s

Early on in 2015, McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) was a struggling brand. It actually replaced its CEO in the first month of the year due to perceived underperformance. The stock was relatively flat through the first half of the year, but what kicked this Dow stock into overdrive was the introduction of “all-day breakfast.” Following this, consumers seemingly changed their mind about the golden arches and investors bought in.