Which Stocks Thrived in Trump’s First 100 Days? Here Are the Top 5 Large-Caps.

They say that there are decades when nothing happens and then there are weeks when decades happen. This saying can be aptly used to describe the first 100 days of President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House. Steep tariffs on global trading partners, GDP contraction, and threats of a recession have thrown investors into a whirlwind. 

Although such economic downturns normally lead to rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, Chairman Jerome Powell has indicated that heightened expectations of an uptick in inflation may deter the central bank from cutting rates with much speed.

One of the most notable casualties has been the stock market. The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) fell 7.9% through Trump’s first 100-day period through April 25. 

However, there are always outperformers in the market. Here are five names from the large-cap space that have rewarded investors in these tough times. What caused this superior performance, and what do analysts think about these contendeners? Let’s find out.

Stock #1: Palantir

Shares of data analytics platform Palantir (PLTR) are up 56.6% on a YTD basis, with the company’s latest quarter numbers surpassing expectations on both revenue and earnings.

The company’s top line expanded by 36% year-over-year, reaching $828 million, driven largely by robust growth in its U.S. commercial and government segments, while earnings jumped by 75% over the same period to $0.14 per share.

Palantir’s close relationship with the government and its AI-native offerings have been the key catalysts for Palantir’s growth this year.

Overall, analysts have deemed the stock a “Hold” with a mean target price of $84, which has already been surpassed. The high target price of $125 denotes upside potential of about 7% from current levels. Out of 20 analysts covering the stock, three have a “Strong Buy” rating, 12 have a “Hold” rating, one has a “Moderate Sell” rating, and four have a “Strong Sell” rating.

Stock #2: Philip Morris International

Founded in 1847, Philip Morris International (PM), the renowned global tobacco company, has seen its shares soar by 41.6% in 2025 so far. The stock also offers a dividend yield of 3.16% which is higher than the sector median of 2.46%.

Philip Morris’ strong share price performance can be attributed to its consistent results, with the most recent quarterly performance marked by a beat on both revenue and earnings. Revenue of $9.3 billion denoted yearly growth of 5.8%, while EPS went up by 12.7% in the same period to $1.69, surpassing the consensus estimate of $1.61.

Rapidly rising popularity of its smokeless products, limited impact of tariffs, and high brand value are expected to be drivers for the stock’s future growth.

Analysts have a consensus “Strong Buy” rating for the stock with a mean target price of $179.73 which indicates upside potential of about 4% from current levels. Out of 12 analysts covering the stock, eight have a “Strong Buy” rating, one has a “Moderate Buy” rating, and three have a “Hold” rating.

Stock #3: Dollar General

Shares of prominent American discount retailer Dollar General (DG) have increased by 20% this year. Now valued at a market cap of $20.6 billion, the DG stock also offers a dividend yield of 2.62%.

Dollar General’s share price strength is a function of its solid quarterly results as the most recent quarter saw its net sales increasing by 4.5% to $10.3 billion, supported by a same-store sales increase of 1.2% in the same period. Although adjusted earnings per share declined by 8.2% on a yearly basis to $1.68, they came in ahead of the consensus estimate of $1.50. 

As highlighted in a recent piece of mine, Dollar General’s massive presence and focus on delivering essential quality goods at reasonable prices in a wider macroeconomic scenario where consumers’ pockets are getting tighter places the company in an advantageous position.

Considering this, analysts have given the stock a consensus“Moderate Buy” rating with a mean target price of $89.56 that has already been surpassed. However, the high target price of $110 denotes upside potential of about 17.4% from current levels. Out of 28 analysts covering the stock, 10 have a “Strong Buy” rating, one has a “Moderate Buy” rating, and 17 have a “Hold” rating.

Stock #4: Verisign

Another large-cap outperformer in the first 100 days of the new administration has been Verisign (VRSN). Verisign is a global provider of internet infrastructure services best known for operating the authoritative domain name registries for .com, .net, and a few other top-level domains.

Shares of Verisign are up 35.6% on a YTD basis with Verisign delivering solid results for the most recent quarter. While revenues climbed 4.7% on a year-over-year basis to $402.3 million, earnings of $2.10 per share represented yearly growth of 9.4%.

Notably, the recent momentum in Verisign’s stock price appears poised to sustain itself, driven by its exclusive control over the .com and .net domain registries. This entrenched position, paired with its resilient and high-reliability infrastructure, affords the company a unique ability to navigate broader economic volatility while reinforcing its hold over a critical segment of the internet infrastructure landscape.

Overall, two analysts have unanimously deemed the stock a “Strong Buy” with a mean target price of $289.50. This denotes an upside potential of roughly 3.6% from current levels.

Stock #5: Newmont Mining 

We conclude our list of outperforming large caps in the first 100 days of the Trump administration with Newmont Mining (NEM), the world’s largest gold (GCM25) mining company. Founded in 1921, NEM stock has rallied 38.3% on a YTD basis with the stock also offering a dividend yield of 1.94%.

The $58.6 billion market cap company saw its revenues rise by 24.5% from the previous year to $5 billion as the average realized gold price increased to $2,944 per ounce from $2,090 per ounce in the year-ago period. Meanwhile, earnings soared to $1.68 per share from $0.14 per share in the prior year.

The unpredictable nature of the current global economy acts as a tailwind for a gold miner like Newmont with gold’s safe haven status leading consumers and central banks alike to shore up their reserves of the yellow metal. This bodes well for Newmont as financial services major Goldman Sachs recently raised gold’s price target to $3,700 per ounce for 2025.

Analysts have deemed the stock a “Moderate Buy” with a mean target price of $62.51 which indicates upside potential of roughly 18.6% from current levels. Out of 20 analysts covering the stock, 12 have a “Strong Buy” rating, one has a “Moderate Buy” rating, six have a “Hold” rating, and one has a “Moderate Sell” rating.