The stocks featured in this article have all approached their 52-week highs. When these price levels hit, it typically signals strong business execution, positive market sentiment, or significant industry tailwinds.
But not every company with momentum is a long-term winner, and plenty of investors have lost money betting on short-term fads. All that said, here are three stocks with the fundamentals to back up their performance.
Applied Materials (AMAT)
One-Month Return: +15%
Founded in 1967 as the first company to develop tools for other businesses in the semiconductor industry, Applied Materials (NASDAQ: AMAT) is the largest provider of semiconductor wafer fabrication equipment.
Why Are We Positive On AMAT?
- Disciplined cost controls and effective management resulted in a strong two-year operating margin of 28.7%
- Impressive free cash flow profitability enables the company to fund new investments or reward investors with share buybacks/dividends
- ROIC punches in at 46.8%, illustrating management’s expertise in identifying profitable investments
Applied Materials’s stock price of $397.83 implies a valuation ratio of 31.9x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? See for yourself in our comprehensive research report, it’s free.
BGC (BGC)
One-Month Return: +20.2%
Tracing its roots back to 1945 and named after founder Bernard Gerald Cantor, BGC Group (NASDAQ: BGC) operates a global brokerage and financial technology platform that facilitates trading across fixed income, foreign exchange, equities, energy, and commodities markets.
Why Are We Fans of BGC?
- Impressive 20.2% annual revenue growth over the last two years indicates it’s winning market share this cycle
- Earnings per share grew by 20.2% annually over the last two years, comfortably beating the peer group average
- Acceptable return on equity suggests management generated shareholder value by investing in profitable projects
At $11.04 per share, BGC trades at 7.6x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Travelers (TRV)
One-Month Return: +0.2%
Tracing its roots back to 1853 when it insured travelers against accidents on steamboats and railroads, Travelers (NYSE: TRV) provides a wide range of commercial and personal property and casualty insurance products to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals.
Why Do We Like TRV?
- Pre-tax profits increased over the last two years as the company gained some leverage on its fixed costs and became more efficient
- Performance over the past two years was turbocharged by share buybacks, which enabled its earnings per share to grow faster than its revenue
- Exciting book value per share outlook for the upcoming 12 months calls for 19.7% growth, an acceleration from its two-year trend
Travelers is trading at $303.16 per share, or 1.8x forward P/B. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
ONE MORE THING: Top 6 Stocks for This Week. This market is separating quality stocks from expensive ones fast. AI taking down whole sectors with no warning. In a rotation this fast, you need more than a list of good companies.
Our AI system flagged Palantir before it ran 1,662%. AppLovin before it ran 753%. Nvidia before it ran 1,178%. Each week it produces 6 new names that pass the same tests. Get Our Top 6 Stocks for Free HERE.
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,326% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.
