It's largely been a bull market over the last decade, which could help explain why this group of growth stocks has been so successful. From 2016 through 2025:
- The Magnificent Seven delivered higher returns than the S&P 500 in eight out of 10 years.
- The biggest difference was in 2020, when the Magnificent Seven had an annual return more than four times higher than the S&P 500 (65.8% to 16.3%).
- The only year in which the S&P 500 performed notably better was 2022, when it declined 19.4%, while the Magnificent Seven fell 41.3%. The S&P 500 also had a slight edge in 2016 (9.5% to 8.8%).
Because it's more diversified and not reliant on a single sector, the S&P 500 tends to weather stock market volatility better. The Magnificent Seven generally aren't as resilient during periods of economic uncertainty, as evidenced by their greater losses during down markets, most notably in 2022. However, since then, artificial intelligence (AI) has driven growth in the tech sector, helping the Magnificent Seven outpace the S&P 500.
Magnificent Seven vs. S&P 500 in 2026
Over the first two weeks of 2026, the S&P 500 gained 1.4%. The Magnificent Seven lost 1.3%, and only two of the seven (Alphabet and Amazon) delivered positive returns.
It has been a strong start to the year for "the other 493," a term for all the other companies in the S&P 500 index. However, the Magnificent Seven could rebound. We're still early in the year, and volatility is normal, considering this is a group of just seven stocks.
