These Stocks are Leading the S&P 500

These Stocks Are Leading the S&P 500

The index is finally back in the green for 2025, for the first time since late February. Renewed trade optimism, strong Q1 earnings and Tuesday’s cooler-than-expected inflation report helped power the recovery, Seeking Alpha detailed. The three best-performing S&P 500 stocks are NRG Energy [NRG] (up 75.5% year to date), Palantir [PLTR] (70.9%) and Uber [UBER] (52.5%). The worst? Moderna [MRNA], which is down 38.7%.

Is SpaceX Back on Track?

Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully completed a static fire test of six Raptor engines on its next Starship rocket, Ars Technica reported, clearing a key hurdle ahead of its ninth test flight. Launch could come as soon as May 21, with the rocket expected to fly halfway around the world before splashing down in the Indian Ocean. Stakes are high, as the last two Starship test flights failed.

Baidu to Launch Robotaxi in Europe

The Chinese tech giant [BIDU] is preparing to launch its Apollo Go robotaxi service in Europe and Turkey, marking a major international push amid intensifying competition in China. Talks are underway with PostAuto, a Swiss public transit provider, to begin testing in Switzerland by year-end. The move follows similar efforts by WeRide [WRD] and Uber, which is partnering with Momenta, according to Seeking Alpha. 

AMD Saudi AI Deal

On the sidelines of Trump’s visit to the Middle East, Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] has signed a $10bn, multi-year partnership with Saudi AI start-up HUMAIN to build 500MW of AI compute capacity in Saudi Arabia over the next five years, Seeking Alpha reported. AMD CEO Lisa Su called the deal a major step toward advancing global AI infrastructure. Read OPTO’s recent deep dive into AMD stock here.

New Battery Push from GM

General Motors [GM] is partnering with LG [066570:KS] to develop lithium manganese-rich (LMR) batteries for electric trucks and SUVs, aiming to begin US production by 2028. LMR batteries are safer, cheaper and more energy-dense than today’s cobalt-heavy cells, The Verge reported. GM could be the first to deploy them, beating Ford’s [F] 2030 timeline. 

Trump’s Tech Diplomacy 

US President Donald Trump is visiting the Middle East in efforts to expand business ties with countries including Saudi Arabia. He has already announced $600bn of defense, artificial intelligence (AI) and other deals with the Kingdom, according to the Financial Times. Bloomberg anticipates that Saudi Arabia and the UAE will gain access to advanced chips from Nvidia [NVDA].

Can These 3 Upstart EV Stocks Challenge the Big Players?

The global electrical vehicle (EV) industry continues to be dominated by Chinese behemoth BYD [BYDDF], which held a 22.2% and 10.3% share of the EV market, respectively, in 2024. Today, OPTO examines the recent performances of three emerging EV brands — Lucid Motors [LCID], Li Auto [LI] and Rivian [RIVN] — and unpacks the challenges they face, as well as possible catalysts for growth in the near term.