Magnificent Seven Slip 1% in H1 2026 as S&P 500 Gains 9%
Updated
Updated · Hindustan Times · Aug 19
Magnificent Seven Slip 1% in H1 2026 as S&P 500 Gains 9%
2 articles · Updated · Hindustan Times · Aug 19
Summary
A 1% first-half drop for the Magnificent Seven marked a sharp break from their years of market leadership, even as the broader S&P 500 rose 9%.
Performance has split widely: Nvidia gained about 18%, Apple 14% and Amazon 13%, while Meta fell 17% and Tesla dropped 25%; only Nvidia is clearly outpacing the market.
More than $700 billion in 2026 AI infrastructure spending has fueled doubts about whether Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft can earn adequate returns, while rising chip and power costs have pushed some investors toward suppliers instead.
The group still accounts for 34% of the S&P 500, up from 12% in 2015, leaving index-fund investors heavily exposed as analysts warn many of the stocks remain expensive and diversification is limited.