The Best and Worst Dow Stocks From 2020
We look at the performance of all 30 Dow Jones stocks in 2020, including those that led the average's march to new heights ... and those that weighed it down.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average might have taken its lumps in 2020, but it ultimately exited the year better for the experience. The average closed out the year with a 7.3% gain, though several stocks obviously did better than that.
Others, not so much.
Apple (AAPL) was the clear leader in the clubhouse, finishing with an 82.3% total return (price plus dividends) thanks in large part to hope that the iPhone 12 would start a new iPhone "supercycle." So far, based on Wedbush channel checks, those hopes appear to be panning out.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Microsoft (MSFT, +42.5% in 2020), like many tech stocks, was resilient through the market downturn because of the necessity of its digital offerings amid a shift to workers having to work from home. And Nike (NKE, +41.0% in 2020) recovered much more vigorously than many other apparel stocks thanks in large part to success in its digital direct-to-consumer offerings.
And while COVID-19 would seem like a boon to pharmacy stocks such as Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA, -29.4% in 2020), that wasn't the case. Increased cleaning costs, an uptake in lower-margin goods and a staggering decline in foot traffic to its U.K. Boots stores weighed on shares. So too did Amazon.com's (AMZN) official November announcement of a full-service online service, Amazon Pharmacy.
The worst Dow stock of 2020, however, was Boeing (BA, -33.9% in 2020), which started the year still struggling to get its 737-Max aircraft line back in the air after a pair of high-profile crashes. It struggled further still after COVID caused widespread global flight cancellations and crushed demand for air travel once flights were allowed to resume.
You can check out the table below for a full look at the best and worst Dow performers in 2020, based on their total returns. Data and table provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Get Kiplinger Today newsletter — free
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.
Kyle Woodley is the Editor-in-Chief of WealthUp, a site dedicated to improving the personal finances and financial literacy of people of all ages. He also writes the weekly The Weekend Tea newsletter, which covers both news and analysis about spending, saving, investing, the economy and more.
Kyle was previously the Senior Investing Editor for Kiplinger.com, and the Managing Editor for InvestorPlace.com before that. His work has appeared in several outlets, including Yahoo! Finance, MSN Money, Barchart, The Globe & Mail and the Nasdaq. He also has appeared as a guest on Fox Business Network and Money Radio, among other shows and podcasts, and he has been quoted in several outlets, including MarketWatch, Vice and Univision. He is a proud graduate of The Ohio State University, where he earned a BA in journalism.
You can check out his thoughts on the markets (and more) at @KyleWoodley.
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Climbs 288 Points After Amazon, Intel Earnings
Post-earnings strength from Amazon and Intel helped cushion the blow of a disappointing October jobs report.
By David Dittman Published
-
Nvidia Stock Is Joining the Dow. Is It Time to Buy?
Nvidia will replace Intel in the Dow Jones Industrial Average this Friday. What does it mean for the stock?
By Dan Burrows Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Slip Ahead of Election Day, Fed Decision
Post-earnings strength from Amazon and Intel helped cushion the blow of a disappointing October jobs report.
By David Dittman Published
-
Stock Market Today: Dow Climbs 288 Points After Amazon, Intel Earnings
Post-earnings strength from Amazon and Intel helped cushion the blow of a disappointing October jobs report.
By Karee Venema Published
-
Apple Stock Slips After Earnings. Wall Street Isn't Worried
Apple stock is trading lower Friday despite the iPhone maker beating expectations for its fiscal fourth quarter, but analysts are still bullish.
By Joey Solitro Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Struggle After Meta, Microsoft Earnings
All three major indexes closed lower on Thursday, making for a grim Halloween.
By David Dittman Published
-
Why Microsoft Is the Worst Dow Jones Stock After Earnings
Microsoft stock is sinking Thursday even after the tech giant reported higher-than-expected earnings for its fiscal first quarter. Here's what you need to know.
By Joey Solitro Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Slide as Solid GDP and Softer Inflation Vex Rate Cut Bets
Encouraging economic news damped hopes for accelerated rate cuts.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Google Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have Today
Google parent Alphabet has been a market-beating machine for ages.
By Dan Burrows Published
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks Renew Rally Ahead of Mag 7 Earnings
The Dow Jones led the major indexes higher on the strength of old-school industrial stalwart 3M.
By David Dittman Published