10 Best & Worst Performing Stocks in 2025

Equity market leadership in 2025 has been sharply polarized, with clear winners driven by hard-asset reflation and AI infrastructure demand, while laggards cluster in healthcare and software sectors disrupted by structural shifts.

On the upside, the year’s top-performing stocks are dominated by storage and memory semiconductor names, alongside precious metals exposure. Companies tied to HDDs, memory chips, and AI-driven data center storage have surged as supply tightened and pricing power returned.

At the same time, rising gold prices and renewed safe-haven demand propelled mining stocks into the top ranks, reinforcing the market’s tilt toward tangible assets and inflation hedges.

In contrast, the worst-performing stocks reveal two consistent weak spots.

Healthcare, particularly large-cap pharmaceuticals and managed care, has struggled amid drug pricing pressure, regulatory risks, and fading post-pandemic tailwinds.

Meanwhile, software and IT services firms have come under pressure as AI automation disrupts traditional business models, compresses margins, and accelerates client spending discipline.

The divergence highlights a broader 2025 theme: markets are rewarding companies leveraged to AI infrastructure and real assets, while punishing sectors where AI acts as a substitute rather than a growth catalyst.