The S&P 500's close below 3,837.25 on June 13 didn't just signal the birth of a new bear market – it also marked the death of the most recent bull market.
And what a bull it was.
But before we look back at the best S&P 500 stocks of the pandemic bull market (see the table below), let's take a moment to acknowledge this change in the cycle.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus get up to 4 Special Issues
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free 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.
Active investors grappling with the official onset of a bear market might want to review the best stocks to buy for 2022, which are designed to account for a range of outcomes through year-end and beyond. Those same active investors also might want to consider adding names that tend to hold up well in down markets, such as the best stocks to buy for a bear market.
As for our now-defunct bull market, recall how improbable it seemed at the time. When COVID-19 first swept across the globe in early 2020, the S&P 500 lost more than a third of its value in little more than a month. And when the market did at last mercifully bottom on March 23, few at the time could guess that it was about to generate extended and stunning returns.
For the record, the pandemic bull market began on March 23, 2020, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices, and it ended on Jan. 3, 2022, which was the S&P 500's most recent – not to mention record – closing high.
Thus, our late, lamented bull market lived for 21.4 months – a period in which the S&P 500 increased 114.4% on a price basis and 120.4% on a total return basis (price appreciation plus dividends).
But as remunerative as the pandemic bull proved to be, it was truly distinguished by the rapidity of its gains.
Since World War II, there have been seven bull markets in which the S&P 500 increased at least 100%, says Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at LPL Financial. The pandemic bull market holds the record for doubling in the shortest amount of time (or not quite 17 months), the strategist notes.
The Best S&P 500 Stocks of the Bull Market
Interestingly, most of the stocks that were the pandemic bull market's biggest early winners – work-from-home darlings, home improvement retailers, consumer staples giants – faded once COVID-19 began to release its grip.
As the table below shows, energy sector names and pandemic-recovery plays in the gaming industry make numerous appearances among the best S&P 500 stocks of the bull market. The financial sector is also amply represented.
And as for top-performer Tesla (TSLA, $647.21)? Remember that the bull market ended on Jan. 3. Shares in Elon Musk's electric vehicle company have lost more than 45% of their value ever since.
-
Stocks Slip to Start Fed Week: Stock Market TodayWhile a rate cut is widely expected this week, uncertainty is building around the Fed's future plans for monetary policy.
-
December Fed Meeting: Live Updates and CommentaryThe December Fed meeting is one of the last key economic events of 2025, with Wall Street closely watching what Chair Powell & Co. will do about interest rates.
-
This Is Why Investors Shouldn't Romanticize BitcoinInvestors should treat bitcoin as the high-risk asset it is. A look at the data indicates a small portfolio allocation for most investors would be the safest.
-
Stocks Slip to Start Fed Week: Stock Market Today
While a rate cut is widely expected this week, uncertainty is building around the Fed's future plans for monetary policy.
-
Stocks Keep Climbing as Fed Meeting Nears: Stock Market TodayA stale inflation report and improving consumer sentiment did little to shift expectations for a rate cut next week.
-
Crypto Trends to Watch in 2026Cryptocurrency is still less than 20 years old, but it remains a fast-moving (and also maturing) market. Here are the crypto trends to watch for in 2026.
-
Small Caps Hit a New High on Rate-Cut Hope: Stock Market TodayOdds for a December rate cut remain high after the latest batch of jobs data, which helped the Russell 2000 outperform today.
-
UNH Sparks a 408-Point Surge for the Dow: Stock Market TodayThe best available data right now confirm both a slowing employment market and a December rate cut, a tension reflected at the equity index level.
-
Stocks Bounce Back With Tech-Led Gains: Stock Market TodayEarnings and guidance from tech stocks and an old-school industrial lifted all three main U.S. equity indexes back into positive territory.
-
Dow Slides 427 Points to Open December: Stock Market TodayThe final month of 2025 begins on a negative note after stocks ended November with a startling rally.
-
If You'd Put $1,000 Into Coca-Cola Stock 20 Years Ago, Here's What You'd Have TodayEven with its reliable dividend growth and generous stock buybacks, Coca-Cola has underperformed the broad market in the long term.
