Nvidia Emerges as the Top Driver of the S&P 500 in Four Decades, Outperforming even IBM

Money | June 21, 2024, 12:24 p.m.

Some tech companies are dominating the stock market, masking a lackluster overall performance. While the S&P 500 has hit 31 record highs this year, the growth is concentrated in a few giants like Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple. These “Magnificent Seven” have seen average gains of 25.3%, while the rest of the index lags at just 2.7%. This unprecedented concentration is causing concern among portfolio managers, with fears of missed opportunities for those not invested in these tech behemoths. Nvidia stands out as the star performer, briefly becoming the world’s most valuable company. However, experts caution that such exceptional growth may not be sustainable in the long run. History shows that market leaders can quickly fall from grace, just as IBM did in the 1980s. While some predict a bubble in the tech sector, others believe these large-scale tech stocks will continue to dominate the market. Amidst this imbalance, any significant downturn in these tech giants could have a dramatic impact on the overall market.