With Markets Returning to All-Time Highs, Here Are the Dow Stocks Moving Them

By Chris Lange Updated Jan 30, 7:28PM EST · Published Jun 19, 4:46PM EDT

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With Markets Returning to All-Time Highs, Here Are the Dow Stocks Moving Them — © zoom-zoom / Getty Images

It’s been a wild ride in 2019. The seasonal theme of “sell in May and go away” passed and seemingly has turned into “Hold your nose and buy in June.” Now the Dow Jones industrial average is up 13.8% and the S&P 500 was up 17.0%, as of June 19, and most major equity indexes are within striking distance of all-time highs again.

It is important to understand that the stock market is really a market of stocks. Not all are created equal, and some of these companies are the drivers behind this strong market performance.

Running a screen on Finviz reveals that about two-thirds of the Dow’s 30 components are up by double-digit percentages in 2019. Although five of the 30 components still are basically down so far in 2019, the top five tell an incredibly different story.

24/7 Wall St. has added color on each of these names, and we have included the top five Dow stocks.

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Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT | MSFT Price Prediction) leads off this group of winners. This stock has been on a slow but steady rise over the past few years, but 2019 has really kicked the shares into gear with the stock up about 33.1% year to date. Shares closed Wednesday at $135.69, with a 52-week range of $93.96 to $135.93.

American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP) makes this list in the number two spot despite taking a small loss in 2018. However, shares have been resoundingly strong since mid-December and are up 29.5% in 2019 alone. Shares of Amex recently closed at $124.68, with a 52-week range of $89.05 to $125.05.

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is another tech stock that has found its way to the top of this list. Considering Cisco’s technology has been one of the points of discussion for this China trade war, it’s surprising to see this stock respond so strongly since May. Overall the stock is up 29.4% year to date. Shares of Cisco last closed at $56.13, with a 52-week range of $40.25 to $57.56.

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) has proven to be nothing but consistent looking at its chart over the last few years. Even recently with the expansion of blockchain technology, Visa has turned what might have been a competitor into an investment with its recent dealings in Facebook’s cryptocurrency. Shares closed Wednesday at $170.69, with a 52-week range of $121.60 to $172.20.

The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS), or the House of Mouse as some call it, has really only come on strong since mid-April (around when Avengers: Endgame was released). But this is enough to round out the top of the list. The stock is up 27.0% year to date. Shares closed at $140.92, with a 52-week range of $100.35 to $143.51.

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About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.