The worst (and best) stocks during Trump’s tough first 100 days
Some stocks have made major swings in the days since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Trump has put U.S. investors on alert with market-moving plans such as tariffs and federal government spending cuts. The S & P 500 is slated to record its worst first 100 days of a presidency since Richard Nixon’s second tenure in the 1970s. Underneath the hood, some names are seeing outsized moves. CNBC screened the S & P 500 to see which stocks have performed the best and worst since Trump came back to the Oval Office in January. To do this, CNBC used closing levels from the Friday before Trump’s inauguration. The worst performers Deckers Outdoor led the S & P 500 down with a 48% plunge during this period. The Ugg and Hoka maker has taken a hit as investors worried that Trump’s plan for levies on imports would hurt the company’s profits. Evercore analyst Jesalyn Wong told clients earlier this month that the majority of Deckers’ manufacturing is likely in China and Vietnam. Despite this rough patch, Wall Street is expecting a rebound ahead. The typical analyst polled by LSEG has a buy rating and an average price target suggesting about 67% upside. DECK YTD mountain Deckers in 2025 Tesla was also one of the hardest-hit names, shedding about one-third of its share value over the 100 days. In addition to concerns about tariffs, the company is facing protests over CEO Elon Musk’s support of Trump’s campaign and leadership of the controversial government efficiency initiative. “When people’s cars are in jeopardy of being keyed or set on fire out there, even people who support Musk or are indifferent [toward] Musk might think twice about buying a Tesla,” Baird analyst Ben Kallo told CNBC last month. While the majority of analysts surveyed by LSEG have a buy rating on the stock, the average price target suggests shares will sit around flat over the next year. Airlines Delta and United both made the list, with each stock’s shares sinking more than 36%. As consumer confidence slides, investors are questioning if the sector will see a pullback with people expecting a recession ahead. Airlines are seeing weak demand for the second half of the year and turning to sales to incentivize bookings. Additionally, traders are concerned that cuts to government spending and belt tightening from corporations can hurt business travel. Despite the recent downturn, Wall Street sees recoveries ahead. The average analyst for each stock has a buy rating and a price target suggesting more than 30% upside, per LSEG. The best performers While the broader market has struggled, some names have been able to buck the trend. Palantir has led the index higher during this timeframe, with shares skyrocketing more than 57%. That comes after the buzzy defense tech name was already a top performer last year. The retail investor favorite appears to be a so-called Trump trade that has been insulated from the tariff-induced sell-off of stocks. Executives have said they see Musk’s and Trump’s government efficiency work, which is known by the acronym DOGE, as beneficial for the business. “I think DOGE is going to bring meritocracy and transparency to government, and that’s exactly what our commercial business is,” Shyam Sankar, Palantir’s technology chief, said on the company’s earnings call in February. PLTR YTD mountain Palantir in 2025 However, Wall Street is cautious after the stock’s monster run. The typical analyst has a hold rating with a price target suggesting shares can slip close to 18% over the next year, according to LSEG. Netflix is another one of the top performers, with the streamer’s stock jumping more than 28%. The company’s focus has made it largely unaffected by tariffs. After that rally, analysts don’t see much more upside. While most analysts surveyed by LSEG have buy ratings, the average price target implies the stock can rise less than 2% over the next year. Elsewhere, several defensive names were among the outperformers. Tobacco giant Philip Morris surged 40%, while telecommunication stock AT & T rose more than 20%. Both stocks have buy ratings from the majority of analysts polled by LSEG. The typical price target reflects upside of nearly 2% for Philip Morris and about 3.6% for AT & T.
