Peace deal prompts big buying of 2026’s best-performing stocks
Another short-lived threat to the momentum trade in the rearview mirror?
The peace deal between the US and Iran has propelled the iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF to a fresh all-time high, as traders eagerly bid up 2026’s best performers.
To be more exact, the risk-on tone has created a barbell trade in US stocks on Monday:
Within the Russell 1000, the stocks doing the best today are the ones that have been crushing it year to date — or the worst-performing 30% of companies.
The threat of an energy price shock and rising bond yields have episodically (and briefly) derailed the momentum trade in stocks. The rally in the Treasury market on Monday implies that there’s a better chance of the macroeconomic environment remaining stable, in which case the old winners can keep on winning.
That’s left AI-geared stocks like Sandisk, Western Digital, Seagate Technology Holdings, Marvell Technology, Intel, Dell, Advanced Micro Devices, and Astera Labs building on their more than 100% year-to-date gains.
