Concerns about sticky inflation, an uncertain employment situation and geopolitical unrest loom large in the big picture. But it's important for investors to understand the stock market is still up in 2025. And a select group of multibagger stocks has delivered the kind of phenomenal returns you see in the hottest bull markets.
If you're unfamiliar with the jargon, "multibagger stocks" deliver profits at a multiple of your initial investment. Doubling your money is difficult enough. So when a stock delivers "3X" or "5X" profits – that's three times or five times your original investment – it's definitely something to be happy about.
Each of the multibagger stocks on this list is up at least 350% over the trailing 12 months through September 12 vs 19.2% for the S&P 500 during the same period. These aren't microcap start-ups, either: Each of these multibagger stocks boasts a market cap of at least $10 billion, demonstrating their significant scale and investor interest.
There's obviously risk in all of these firms, given their unique business models as well as macroeconomic concerns. But with returns that blow away the competition, these multibagger stocks show that higher risk can indeed deliver higher rewards when investors pick the right names.
Applovin
- Market value: $196.9 billion
- 12-month total return: 417.0%
AppLovin (APP) is a software-based marketing platform designed to connect advertisers with customers across a host of digital platforms, from streaming video to mobile games.
Its budding business on smart TVs – serving up targeted ads during commercial breaks now inserted into a host of shows people are increasingly enduring to cut down their monthly streaming bills.
Founded in 2012, AppLovin already has significant scale despite the dominance of Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) in the ad biz. Management forecast $5.5 billion in revenue for the current fiscal year – with 27% growth to more than $7 billion to follow in fiscal 2026.
Advertising can be extremely cyclical, and AppLovin is fighting some big players. But investors like what they’ve seen over the last year in terms of sales and profitability from this upstart operator.
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Oklo
- Market value: $12.2 billion
- 12-month total return: 1,210.0%
Oklo (OKLO) is a 21st-century energy company, with a prime place at the intersection of artificial intelligence and nuclear power.
As AI continues to reshape the economy and various applications grow increasingly complex, electric power needs are growing in kind.
To help support this new demand, nuclear energy has returned to prominence after many decades out of the limelight. It's all about nuclear's relatively green operations compared to traditional fossil fuels.
Oklo is leading the way in this transition thanks to its advanced fission power plants that provide clean, reliable, affordable energy.
OKLO entered public markets in 2024 via a SPAC merger. With big gains over the last 12 months, Wall Street clearly sees something in this disruptive energy stock.
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Palantir Technologies
- Market value: $406.7 billion
- 12-month total return: 381.7%
You'd have to be totally new to Wall Street to not know the tremendous growth story of Palantir Technologies (PLTR).
PLTR is the top-performing stock in the entire S&P 500 over the last 12 months thanks to its position at the center of national security and AI megatrends.
Palantir, which provides AI-powered data processing software, made a name for itself through long-term partnerships with the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.
Unlike some other AI start-ups, Palantir is large and comfortably profitable; management just raised its full-year cash flow guidance to as much as $2.0 billion for 2025.
When it comes to the most popular investments of 2025, this multibagger stands apart with daily volume that regularly tops 70 million shares traded.
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Robinhood Markets
- Market value: $102.2 billion
- 12-month total return: 421.2%
Robinhood Markets (HOOD) is a fintech company with a well-deserved reputation for disrupting the old way of investing.
Founded in 2013 with a mobile-friendly and low-cost approach to investing, HOOD is the 2.0 version of early discount brokerages such as eTrade that democratized Wall Street for smaller investors.
With crypto offerings, easy access to options strategies and a strong reputation with younger traders, Robinhood continues to grow and challenge traditional leaders in finance too.
Consider its second-quarter year-over-year revenue growth of 45% to nearly $1 billion: This is no niche player but a fast-growing company redefining what’s possible for a new generation of investors.
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Rocket Lab
- Market value: $1.6 trillion
- 12-month total return: 615.0%
Rocket Lab (RKLB) – an aerospace leader developing rocket launch and control systems for commercial spaceflight and defense applications – is also one of the highest fliers of 2025.
The company is not yet profitable, but management expects to operate at nearly break-even next year thanks to a growing backlog and better-than-expected revenue growth in recent quarters.
As with many innovative start-ups out there, volatility is a given, and there's elevated risk here. But there's tremendous buzz around SpaceX and Blue Origin, pet projects of billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, respectively. Yet both remain privately held.
RKLB is perhaps the best way to play the next generation of space travel in a publicly traded stock. Indeed, investors have shown tremendous interest in the stock across the last 12 months.
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