11 Best Performing Dow Stocks So Far in 2025

4. The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (NYSE:GS)

Year-to-date return as of February 14: 14.88%

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) is a prominent financial services and investment bank. It has three major divisions: Global Banking and Markets, Asset and Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions. Its revenue streams include advising fees from mergers & acquisitions, underwriting services, proprietary trading, prime brokerage, and private equity investments. With a YTD return of nearly 15%, GS is one of the best performing stocks on our list.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) sustains its competitive edge by making strategic investments, arranging initial public offerings, and constructing intricate financial products. It continues to be a major force in the worldwide financial industry due to its solid reputation, wide clientele, and in-depth financial knowledge.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) reported $13.87 billion in sales for the fourth quarter of 2024, a 23% increase over the same time the year before. Assets under supervision increased by 12% throughout the year, hitting a record high of $3.14 trillion. Moreover, the company’s book value per common share increased by 7.4% to $336.77. The company had a strong liquidity position at the end of the year, with $182 billion in cash and cash equivalents, up from $155 billion in the previous quarter.

Ariel Appreciation Fund stated the following regarding The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) in its Q4 2024 investor letter:

Several stocks in the portfolio delivered solid returns in the quarter. Global investment bank, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) outperformed on a robust quarterly earnings beat, highlighted by strength across its investment banking, trading and asset management segments. Meanwhile, the U.S. election has been widely viewed as a positive catalyst across the industry. Investors expect the incoming administration to 1 The “Magnificent Seven” are the largest stocks in the S&P 500 Index driving market performance: Apple Inc. (AAPL), Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), Meta Platforms Inc. (META), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), NVIDIA Corp. (NVDA) and Tesla, Inc. (TSLA). 2 Hobson, Mellody and John W. Rogers Jr. “What the Stock market Taught Us This Year: Don’t Fall for These Investing Traps.” Wall Street Journal, 5 December 2023. emphasize deregulation and exhibit a greater openness to business combinations compared to the prior regime. Hence, management’s positive commentary around the operating momentum of its core franchises, an improving M&A outlook and the resilience of the U.S. economy sent shares higher.