The 20 best-performing stocks of 2023 according to reliable analysts
These stocks were not cherry-picked in hindsight: they are the ones the method would have selected using only info known by end of 2022 (price targets from reliable analysts in the prior ~90 days), then held unchanged for 12 months. A true point-in-time record.
🎯 JPI Fair +32% · vs S&P 500 +24% · +7.4 pts
| # | Stock | 12-month return |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARLO Arlo Technologies | +171% |
| 2 | CCL Carnival Corporation | +130% |
| 3 | TSLA Tesla, Inc. | +102% |
| 4 | NCLH Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings | +64% |
| 5 | CNK Cinemark Holdings, Inc. | +63% |
| 6 | PK Park Hotels & Resorts | +30% |
| 7 | PLMR Palomar Holdings, Inc. | +23% |
| 8 | LNTH Lantheus Holdings | +22% |
| 9 | ALGT Allegiant Travel Company | +22% |
| 10 | SF Stifel | +19% |
| 11 | GTLS Chart Industries | +18% |
| 12 | EQT EQT Corporation | +14% |
| 13 | C Citigroup | +14% |
| 14 | RWT Redwood Trust, Inc. | +10% |
| 15 | GM General Motors | +7% |
| 16 | VIAV VIAVI Solutions | -4% |
| 17 | PAYO Payoneer Global Inc. | -5% |
| 18 | RCUS Arcus Biosciences, Inc. | -8% |
| 19 | XNCR Xencor Inc | -18% |
| 20 | MD Pediatrix Medical Group | -37% |
⚡ JPI Risk + +48% · vs S&P 500 +24% · +23.3 pts
| # | Stock | 12-month return |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ARLO Arlo Technologies | +171% |
| 2 | RCL Royal Caribbean Group | +162% |
| 3 | CCL Carnival Corporation | +130% |
| 4 | TSLA Tesla, Inc. | +102% |
| 5 | AMZN Amazon | +81% |
| 6 | EXPE Expedia Group | +73% |
| 7 | NCLH Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings | +64% |
| 8 | MGM MGM Resorts | +33% |
| 9 | GNRC Generac | +28% |
| 10 | GPN Global Payments | +28% |
| 11 | PLMR Palomar Holdings, Inc. | +23% |
| 12 | LNTH Lantheus Holdings | +22% |
| 13 | WBD Warner Bros. Discovery | +20% |
| 14 | GTLS Chart Industries | +18% |
| 15 | CHTR Charter Communications | +15% |
| 16 | EQT EQT Corporation | +14% |
| 17 | GM General Motors | +7% |
| 18 | RCUS Arcus Biosciences, Inc. | -8% |
| 19 | CWK Cushman & Wakefield plc | -13% |
| 20 | XNCR Xencor Inc | -18% |
What if you'd kept following the method in 2024?
| Year | JPI Fair | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +32% | +24% |
| 2024 | +10% | +23% |
| 2-year cumulative (if you kept going) | +45% | +53% |
💡 The takeaway — you have to accept the average or down years and stay in the method (sell, rebuy the newly recommended names). Whoever panics after a bad year misses the rebound. Discipline > emotion.
📊 See the full 11-year backtest → 🎯 Stocks to buy today →
FAQ
What were the best stocks to buy in 2023?
Per the JPI Fair method (targets from the ≥2 most reliable analysts per sector), the 20 stocks selected in early 2023 returned +31.7% on average over 12 months, vs 24.3% for the index. The best was ARLO (Arlo Technologies) at +171%. See the full list above.
How were these 2023 stocks chosen?
With no hindsight: only from information known by end of 2022 (price targets from analysts with a real reliability track record on their sector), then held 12 months. A point-in-time backtest, not a hindsight pick.
Does this method actually work?
Over 11 years (2015-2025), the JPI Fair method returned +19.8%/yr vs +11.5% for the S&P 500 — +8.3 points a year, beating the index in 8 of 11 years. But it's lumpy (down years in 2018 and 2022) and risk-adjusted the edge is thinner. A quality signal, not a guarantee.
What is JPI Invest?
JPI Invest aggregates analyst recommendations across the entire S&P 500 (plus the S&P MidCap 400), replays them against real prices and measures who predicts best — on results, not reputation. Instead of taking a price target at face value, you see each analyst's track record on each stock.
- 🏆 Analyst leaderboard by real reliability (beating their sector, not just riding the rally)
- 🎯 What to buy: 3 backtested methods over 11 years, from cautious to aggressive
- 💬 AI assistant: ask anything about any stock, with the numbers
- 📊 Portfolio tracking + 🔔 price alerts by email