The day President Donald Trump announced a list of tariffs, volatility was liberated on the S&P 500. But a small group of stocks were unfazed.
Nine S&P 500 stocks, including Wynn Resorts, WEC Energy and Steel Dynamics, have seen their shares move 0.1% or less since Trump announced tariffs on April 2, says an Investor's Business Daily analysis of data from S&P Global Market Intelligence and MarketSurge.
That's a remarkably chill reaction to such unsettling news. During that time, the S&P 500 itself is down roughly 5% from the announcement. And it was down much more than that at the low this year. The S&P 500 is still down 10.7% from its record close on Feb. 19.
"Market sentiment has taken a positive turn as investors take stock in the notion that the trade situation will eventually resolve itself, and that the administration seems to be responding to the market's message over the past few weeks," said David Laut, chief investment officer at Abound Financial.
Unshakable S&P 500 Stocks
When it comes to dodging volatility amid the Trump tariff mess, casino operator Wynn is a standout. Shares are unchanged since the announcement.
That might come as a surprise, as Wynn operates in the China-controlled gambling venue, Macau. And China is the prime target in Trump's trade war. The fact is, though, at this point the tariffs target goods and Wynn deals with services. The stock is also not performing well enough to spark valuation worries. Its RS Rating is just 36. And it's trading below the 200-day moving average.
Analysts think Wynn's profit will sink 15% this year, but bounce back slightly by 5% in 2026.
Similarly, shares of Wisconsin-based utility WEC Energy have barely budged since the Trump announcement. But it is more of an issue of the company being shielded from tariffs based on its industry. The company is a domestic business seeing steady demand in the U.S. The RS Rating is 92. And analysts are looking for 7% earnings growth this year and next.
Possible To Sidestep S&P 500 Volatility
Now that many assets and stocks are getting pulled into the ups and downs based on Trumps' whims, knowing what kinds of stocks are immune is valuable. Steel Dynamics, an Indiana-based steelmaker and recycler, is staying out of the drama. Shares are unchanged, though, and they only sport an RS Rating of 63.
Eventually, these types of stocks aren't likely to lead the S&P 500. But in the meantime, they're giving investors' portfolios something to count on.
S&P 500 Virtually Unchanged From Tariffs
Based on April 2 announcement
| Company | Ticker | % ch. from April 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Synopsys | SNPS | 0.1% |
| Realty Income | O | 0.1% |
| Wynn Resorts | WYNN | 0.0% |
| WEC Energy | WEC | 0.0% |
| Steel Dynamics | STLD | 0.0% |
| NXP Semiconductors | NXPI | -0.1% |
| Elevance Health | ELV | -0.1% |
| Hershey | HSY | -0.1% |
| GoDaddy | GDDY | -0.1% |
| PG&E | PCG | -0.1% |
