15 stocks within the S&P 500 have experienced increases of over 10% since the onset of the conflict with Iran
Stock Market Update: S&P 500 Performance After U.S. and Israel Strike Iran
Despite a widespread downturn in equities following the U.S. and Israel's military action against Iran on February 28, a handful of stocks have managed to outperform the market.
While there were some early signs of recovery in stock prices on Friday, the majority of S&P 500 companies—about 80%—had declined since the market closed on February 27, the day before the attack. The S&P 500 index itself dropped 2.6% from that date, even after a modest 0.5% gain on Friday morning. Out of the index’s 11 sectors, only energy and information technology posted gains, rising 2.7% and 0.4% respectively. All figures exclude dividends.
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MarketWatch’s live coverage on Friday highlighted a Financial Times report that France and Italy were in talks with Iran to secure safe passage for their vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. This news contributed to a 1.2% drop in West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices to $94.52 per barrel, though oil remained up 41% from its February 27 settlement price of $67.02.
Investment Strategies and Notable Performers
For those seeking to shield their portfolios from geopolitical risks, see: .
Earlier in the week, Tomi Kilgore detailed why CF Industries Holdings led the S&P 500 since the onset of the Iran conflict. Despite a 6.7% drop on Friday morning, CF Industries remained the top performer in the index since February 27.
Below are the 15 S&P 500 stocks that achieved double-digit percentage gains from February 27 through Friday morning:
| Company | March 13 Price Change | Change Since Feb. 27 | 2026 Price Change | 2025 Price Change | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CF Industries Holdings (CF) | -6.7% | 27.5% | 64.1% | -9.4% | Agricultural chemicals |
| LyondellBasell Industries (LYB) | -3.0% | 25.4% | 66.5% | -41.7% | Commodity chemicals |
| Dow Inc. (DOW) | -1.1% | 21.0% | 59.0% | -41.7% | Commodity chemicals |
| CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD) | 0.7% | 19.6% | -5.1% | 37.0% | Software |
| Marathon Petroleum (MPC) | 0.6% | 16.7% | 42.3% | 16.6% | Oil & gas refining and marketing |
| Datadog (DDOG) | 1.3% | 15.0% | -5.3% | -4.8% | Software |
| Valero Energy (VLO) | -0.3% | 14.9% | 44.4% | 32.8% | Oil & gas refining and marketing |
| Trade Desk (TTD) | 2.4% | 14.1% | -28.4% | -67.7% | Software |
| Coinbase Global (COIN) | 3.6% | 13.8% | -11.5% | -8.9% | Blockchain & cryptocurrency |
| Phillips 66 (PSX) | 0.7% | 13.6% | 35.8% | 13.3% | Oil & gas refining and marketing |
| Palo Alto Networks (PANW) | 0.5% | 13.4% | -8.3% | 1.2% | Software |
| APA (APA) | 1.8% | 12.6% | 39.8% | 5.9% | Oil & gas refining and marketing |
| Palantir Technologies (PLTR) | -0.7% | 11.1% | -14.2% | 135.0% | Software |
| Kroger (KR) | 0.2% | 10.0% | 20.2% | 2.2% | Food retail & distribution |
| Akamai Technologies (AKAM) | 2.2% | 9.5% | 23.5% | -8.8% | IT services & consulting |
| Source: LSEG | |||||
Click on the ticker symbols for more details about each company.
Further Reading
For a comprehensive guide to the data available on MarketWatch’s quote pages, see: .
S&P 500 Sector Performance Since February 27
Here’s a summary of how each sector in the S&P 500 performed from the close on February 27 through midmorning Friday, with the overall index shown at the bottom:
| Sector or Index | Change Since Feb. 27 | 2026 Price Change | 2025 Price Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 2.7% | 27.8% | 5.0% |
| Information technology | 0.4% | -5.2% | 23.3% |
| Utilities | -1.2% | 10.0% | 12.7% |
| Communications services | -2.0% | -1.7% | 32.4% |
| Real estate | -3.1% | 5.7% | -0.3% |
| Consumer discretionary | -3.5% | -7.2% | 5.3% |
| Financial services | -4.2% | -10.3% | 13.3% |
| Consumer staples | -5.0% | 10.2% | 1.3% |
| Healthcare | -5.7% | -2.6% | 12.5% |
| Industrials | -6.8% | 6.3% | 17.7% |
| Materials | -7.7% | 8.6% | 8.4% |
| S&P 500 | -2.6% | -2.1% | 16.4% |
| Source: LSEG | |||
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Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
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