Top S&P 500 stocks by annual return The average annual return of the S&P 500 was 10% from 1980 to 2022, excluding dividends. Of course, there are companies that bring in much higher profits in any given year. In this chart, using data from the S&P Dow Jones Indices, we explore the top S&P 500 stocks with the best single-year returns in the past four decades. Top S&P 500 Stock Ranking To find the top performers, the S&P selected the top 10 top-performing stocks each year and then narrowed that list down to the top 50 overall. They ranked the best...