S&P 500: 3 Stocks Turn $10,000 Into $23,608 In 3 Months

S&P 500 stocks suffered their second monthly drop this year in March. But daring investors are still finding ways to make money.

If you invested $10,000 in January in the top-performing stock in the S&P 500 at the time and reinvested that in each month’s top performer, including Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) in March, you’d have $23,608 now, says an Investor’s Business Daily analysis of data from S&P Global Market Intelligence and MarketSurge.

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That’s an impressive three-month gain of 136%. It’s quite a feat given the S&P itself is down a disappointing 5.1% so far this year. The same $10,000 invested in the S&P 500 would be worth just $9,480 now. That’s a loss of more than $500. The S&P 500 sank 6% in March, more than erasing its 2.7% rise in January.

Will The S&P Keep Rolling In April?

Hindsight is 20-20. And, clearly, few if any investors could have picked the top stock in each of the past three months, as it’s not a repeatable strategy. But the staggering numbers this year remind investors amazing gains can be scooped up by diligent investors who keep buy lists handy for leaders even when the S&P 500 starts to fade.

In fact, following two months of losses, the S&P offered many ways to make money. More than 24% of the stocks in the S&P 500 rose during March. And of those, four stocks jumped more than 13% in just one month.

Top S&P 500 Stock Of March: Huntington Ingalls

The S&P 500 itself was so weak in March that competition to be No. 1 was easy. Huntington Ingalls was well positioned. The company builds and fixes U.S. military ships. Demand for military equipment is rising around the world as President Donald Trump rips up alliances with allies. Shares rose nearly 17% in March.

Much of the gains in the company’s stock so far are speculative. Analysts think the company’s earnings per share will be flat in 2025. But its profit is seen rising 18% in 2026. This is not the time to buy Huntington Ingalls. The RS Rating is just 25 and EPS Rating just 44. The stock is also trading below its 200-day moving average.

The rest of the top 10 S&P 500 stocks in the third month of the year were a motley crew of mostly beat-up value stocks. Discount retailer Dollar General (DG) gained 16.1% and financial firm W.R. Berkley (WRB) rose 13% in the month.

What’s Coming Next For The S&P 500?

The big question, though, is: Will the S&P 500’s winning streak continue in April? Historically, the odds look good.

April is the second-best month for the S&P going back to 1950, says the “Stock Trader’s Almanac.” The S&P 500 rises 1.5% in April on average. And it rose nearly 72% of the time. Some of the strength kicks in following the April tax deadline.

This year is a little different with the S&P 500 falling into a correction. Also tariffs are rising along with layoffs. But following a disappointing February and March, investors would welcome some relief.

How To Turn $10,000 Into $23,608 In 3 Months

Sources: S&P Global Market Intelligence, IBD