This article looks at the 15 highest-priced stocks right now. We also discuss the market outlook 2025 and how tariffs could affect stocks.
2024 was a blockbuster year for the US markets, with the broad market index up 23.31% during the year, after rising 24.2% in the year prior. The two-year gain of 53% is the best performance for the index since the 66% rally between 1997 and 1998.
READ ALSO: 10 Best Single Digit Stocks To Buy Now and 12 Best S&P 500 Stocks to Invest in According to Analysts.
The market benefited from declining interest rates, waning inflation, and a resilient economy that avoided recession. While analysts have projected continued growth in 2025, they are also cautious about the rally having gone too far with a correction in the offing this year. Fears of fierce trade wars and geopolitical conflicts could also hurt the stock market.
Over the past few weeks, President Trump has announced and then delayed tariffs on Canada and Mexico, imposed additional 10% tariffs on Chinese goods, and warned the European Union of similar treatment, citing the bloc’s treatment of the U.S. The new administration’s protectionist policies have sparked concerns in the markets about which countries will be next on the American president’s list, leaving several large multinationals unsure of how to plan.
According to analysts at Goldman Sachs Research, index earnings could drop by 2-3% if the US goes ahead with its proposed tariffs. Financial markets have been turbulent amid ongoing tariff negotiations between Washington and its major trade partners. Here is what chief equity strategist, David Kostin, wrote in a recent report.
“If company managements decide to absorb the higher input costs, then profit margins would be squeezed. If companies pass along the higher costs to end customers, then sales volumes may suffer. Firms may try to push back on their suppliers and ask them to absorb part of the cost of the tariff through lower prices.”
Analysts at the investment banking firm have also warned that protectionist policies driving up the value of the U.S. Dollar could further pressure the earnings of several companies, especially those that derive a significant portion of their revenues outside the United States.
Time will tell whether the Trump administration implements the tariffs or reaches a compromise with its trade partners, and how the markets react if the export taxes are imposed. However, if past trends are anything to go by, the broad market index dropped by a total of 5% on days when the U.S., under Trump’s first stint as president, announced tariffs in 2018 and 2019. The index fell by a cumulative 7% when other countries imposed retaliatory tariffs.
With that said, let’s shift focus on some of the highest-priced stocks right now and what their outlook looks like for the year ahead.
The New York Stock Exchange building. Photo by Дмитрий Трепольский on Pexels
Methodology
We went through screeners to identify the highest-priced stocks as of the close of the day on Friday, February 14, 2025 and ranked them in ascending order of their share price.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
15 Highest-Priced Stocks Right Now
15. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD)
Share Price on February 14: $1,271.91
Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD) manufactures and supplies precision instruments and services. The company has a direct presence in approximately 40 countries, while its products are sold in over 140 countries and territories.
On February 6, Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD) announced financial results for the fourth quarter of 2024. It reported sales of $1.045 billion for the quarter, up 12% from last year. Region-wise sales increased 6% in the Americas, 18% in Europe, and 15% in Asia and the rest of the world. Earnings before taxes were posted at $314.5 million, improving 35.2% year-over-year. Diluted EPS in the quarter was logged at $11.96, compared with $8.52 in the prior year.
A major standout from the Q4 results is the 61.2% gross margin, which increased by 220 basis points from last year, aided primarily by higher volume and positive price realization. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD)’s pricing power is a vital driver of these strong gains as the company enjoys a dominant market position and serves a highly regulated customer base, for whom compliance and precision are non-negotiable.
Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD)’s ability to pass on price increases even during market downturns continues to be an advantage. For fiscal 2025, the company anticipates local currency sales growth to between 3% and 4.5%, while full-year adjusted EPS is expected to be in the range of $42.35 to $43. Free cash flow for fiscal 2025 is forecast to be around $860 million. The company also plans $875 million of share repurchases during the year.
Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD) is one of the highest-priced stocks right now, with its share price growing by 4% year-to-date. Wall Street analysts project a further 4.5% uptick, on average, in its trading value over the months ahead.
14. TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG)
Share Price on February 14: $1,314.19
TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG) is an American aerospace company that manufactures engineered aircraft components, such as avionics, pumps, and valves, for use on commercial and military aircraft. It is among the highest-priced stocks right now, with its share price rising by 103% over the last five years.
The company executed notable acquisitions in 2024, likely adding significant future revenue for TDG. On July 31, 2024, it completed the acquisition of Raptor Scientific, a leading provider of complex text and manufacturing solutions for the aerospace and defense markets. Nearly all of its revenue comes from proprietary products. The deal was valued at $655 million to be paid in cash and was inclusive of certain tax benefits.
Earlier in June, TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG) also acquired Communications & Power Industries’ Electron Device business for $1.385 billion in cash. It is a leading manufacturer and supplier of electronic components and subsystems for the aerospace and defense industry, with about 70% of its revenue generated from the aftermarket.
During its recent Q1 2025 earnings call on February 4, TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG) reported a net income of $493 million, growing 29% year-over-year, driven by a 12% increase in net sales from last year. Adjusted EPS stood at $7.83, up 9% from the prior year’s quarter.
Wall Street analysts are bullish on the stock, with a consensus Buy rating and an average share price upside potential of 9%. Investor sentiment also remains strong. According to Insider Monkey’s database for Q3 2024, 71 hedge funds held a stake in the company.
13. O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY)
Share Price on February 14: $1,318.80
O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) is a retailer and supplier of auto parts, tools, equipment, and other accessories for professional and do-it-yourself customers. The company operates over 6,000 stores across the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.
During its Q4 2024 earnings call on February 6, O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) reported a 2.9% increase in comparable store sales and a 5.7% uptick in diluted earnings per share during the fiscal year. Despite challenges across the automotive aftermarket, the company delivered its 32nd successive year of growth in these metrics since going public.
Analysts believe consumers are favoring repairs over acquiring new vehicles due to higher borrowing costs and increasing prices of new vehicles. Moreover, the complex nature of modern vehicles is also bolstering demand for high-quality parts. These factors are setting O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) in good shape for future growth.
The company’s share price has had returns of nearly 26% over the past 12 months, which has resulted in ORLY being one of the highest-priced stocks right now. On February 11, Roth MKM raised the stock’s price target to $1,440 from $1,337 and maintained its Buy rating amid solid guidance for FY25.
Investor sentiment remains strong as well. According to Insider Monkey’s database for Q3 2024, 41 hedge funds held a stake in the company. Qualivian Investment Partners stated the following regarding O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) in its Q3 2024 investor letter:
ORLY is the leader in the automotive retail parts marketplace and has out-executed the competition, especially the smaller mom and pop auto parts stores that cater to the retail and auto mechanic shops in the US. Furthermore, the historical deployment of its excess cash to repurchase its shares continues to be a key linchpin of its ability to generate shareholder returns more than the market. While we are maintaining a watchful eye on slowing market trends, we continue to see ORLY as a long-term core holding in the fund.
