These Were the 3 Best-Performing "Magnificent Seven" Stocks of the First Half. Only 1 of Them Outperformed the S&P 500

The "Magnificent Seven" stocks are among the most valuable and popular stocks in the world: Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL), Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), and Tesla. Over the years, they've generated some fantastic returns for investors, perhaps even life-changing gains.

But this year, their gains have been lackluster, and only one of them has even outperformed the S&P 500 (it's up around 9%). Here's a look at the top three stocks in this group as of the halfway point of 2026, and whether they are good buys right now.

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Apple: up 6%

Although a modest single-digit gain may seem modest for this group of stocks, that's enough for a stock like Apple to be among the top three. It was up around 6% as of the end of June, and it's been a better buy than the rest. Investors may have been underwhelmed with its artificial intelligence (AI) strategy, but with its results still looking solid, it remains a popular tech stock to own.

The company has been battling higher costs due to soaring memory and storage prices, but with a customer base that doesn't often balk at paying a premium for products, it may be in better shape than most if it ends up having to raise the prices of its iPhones this year. It has already raised prices on other products, including MacBooks and iPads.

Although the stock is doing reasonably well this year, its valuation is high, which could limit its gains from here on out. It trades at 37 times its trailing earnings, which can be problematic if its growth rate slows due to higher prices. While it remains an attractive option for the long haul, it could be a challenging road ahead for Apple in the near term.

Nvidia: up 7%

The days of chipmaking giant Nvidia delivering massive returns for its shareholders may be over. Up just 7% as of the end of June, Nvidia's gains have been relatively light, even though they've been solid compared to other stocks in the Magnificent Seven.

Nvidia is already the most valuable company in the world with a market cap of $4.7 trillion, so it's not an easy task for it to rise higher. Although its earnings multiple of 30 is lower than Apple's, investors may remain concerned about the market cap and the future expectations that are effectively priced into Nvidia's current valuation.

However, with the company generating impressive growth of 85% in its most recent quarter (which ended on April 26), its results continue to look stellar. Nvidia's market cap may seem high, but given its high level of growth and strong earnings, it may have more room to rise higher not only in the second half of the year but in the long run.

Alphabet: up 13%

The top-performing stock in the Magnificent Seven as of the end of June was Alphabet. At around 13%, its gains weren't huge, but they were enough to make it the best stock in the group and the only one to beat the S&P 500, which was up less than 10%.

The company has proven that it can thrive due to artificial intelligence (AI), as opposed to it proving to be an existential threat to its business. The company's Gemini chatbot is not only proving to be a significant threat to OpenAI's ChatGPT, but may also be in the best position to succeed given the company's deep pockets. Alphabet's business continues to do well, with its advertising and search segments remaining strong despite investors' initial concerns about AI. The company's top line rose by 22% during the first three months of 2026, totaling nearly $110 billion.

Trading at 27 times its trailing earnings, Alphabet's stock is the cheapest one on this list. It offers good value for investors and could still have more upside this year, given its solid growth and AI opportunities.

David Jagielski, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.