Some stocks leading this year’s bull rally could be destined for another year of outperformance. Except for a few notable sell-offs, 2024 marked a year of big gains for the stock market. Year to date, the benchmark S & P 500 index has risen nearly 24%, followed by the Dow Jones Industrial Average ‘s 13% return. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite has soared almost 30%. The technology sector’s stranglehold on market outperformance eased a tad this year, with the bull rally broadening out to include small-cap stocks. The Russell 2000 is on pace to finish 2024 with a 10% rise . Against this backdrop, CNBC Pro screened this year’s big winners for stocks that could be due to repeat their meteoric success next year. To be included in the below table, stocks had to meet the following criteria: Be a member of the S & P 500 On pace for a gain of 30% or more in 2024, as of Dec. 30 Have an average price target implying upside of at least 20% next year The artificial intelligence trade drove upside for stocks such as Nvidia , Dell Technologies and Constellation Energy this year. Nvidia, the poster child for the AI revolution, has surged 178% in 2024, followed by Dell’s 50% year-to-date gain. A smattering of banks have highlighted Nvidia as a top stock pick for the new year, including Bank of America and Morgan Stanley . “We have tended to be most enthusiastic on Nvidia when the near-term data points appear mixed, but underlying dynamics are very strong,” wrote Morgan Stanley analyst Joseph Moore. “We think we are approaching that point now … there are a number of concerns here, some of which are overstated, some of which are anxiety inducing short term, but we believe irrelevant longer term.” Moore’s $166 price target implies approximately 21% upside for shares of Nvidia. Constellation Energy has surged 94% as a pick-and-shovel beneficiary of the AI boom. In September, Constellation announced plans to restart its Three Mile Island nuclear plant and sell the resulting power to Microsoft to support the power needs of data centers. Shares of Eli Lilly have soared 33% in 2024 due to the success of its GLP-1 diabetes management and weight loss drugs. In a note from earlier this month, Bernstein stated its belief that Eli Lilly could benefit from a second Trump term. “With Elon’s role in the new administration plus Lilly’s ability to bring creative solutions to the table for GLP1s — we see Lilly in a strong position to work creatively with the new administration to expand access to GLP1s (albeit recognizing there is always a trade-off between access & price),” the firm wrote. “It is possible that Lilly is in a stronger position than Novo to navigate this tight-rope, being U.S. headquartered and having demonstrated a faster path to scaling volume to-date.” Bernstein’s $1,100 price target for the stock is approximately 42% above where shares closed on Monday. Other names that could notch big gains again in 2025 include GE Aerospace and Delta Air Lines .
