2025 High Beta Stocks List | The 100 Highest Beta S&P 500 Stocks

Up to date on Could nineteenth, 2025 by Bob Ciura
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On this planet of investing, volatility issues. Buyers are reminded of this each time there’s a downturn within the broader market and particular person shares which might be extra unstable than others expertise huge swings in worth in each instructions.

That volatility can enhance the danger in a person’s inventory portfolio relative to the broader market.

The volatility of a safety or portfolio towards a benchmark – known as Beta. In brief, Beta is measured through a formulation that calculates the value threat of a safety or portfolio towards a benchmark, which is usually the broader market as measured by the S&P 500 Index.

When inventory markets are rising, high-beta shares might outperform. With that in thoughts, we created an inventory of S&P 500 shares with the very best beta values.

You may obtain your free Excessive Beta shares listing (together with related monetary metrics akin to dividend yields and price-to-earnings ratios) by clicking on the hyperlink beneath:

It’s useful in understanding the general worth threat degree for traders throughout market downturns particularly.

Excessive Beta shares usually are not a certain guess throughout bull markets to outperform, so traders ought to be even handed when including excessive Beta shares to a portfolio, as the load of the proof suggests they’re extra more likely to under-perform in periods of market weak point.

Nevertheless, for these traders inquisitive about including a bit extra threat to their portfolio, we’ve put collectively an inventory to assist traders discover the most effective excessive beta shares.

This text will present an outline of Beta. As well as, we are going to talk about how you can calculate Beta, incorporating Beta into the Capital Asset Pricing Mannequin, and supply evaluation on the highest 5 highest-Beta dividend shares in our protection database.

The desk of contents beneath supplies for simple navigation:

Desk of Contents

Excessive Beta Shares Versus Low Beta

Right here’s how you can learn inventory betas:

• A beta of 1.0 means the inventory strikes equally with the S&P 500
• A beta of two.0 means the inventory strikes twice as a lot because the S&P 500
• A beta of 0.0 means the shares strikes don’t correlate with the S&P 500
• A beta of -1.0 means the inventory strikes exactly reverse the S&P 500

The upper the Beta worth, the extra volatility the inventory or portfolio ought to exhibit towards the benchmark. This may be useful for these traders that choose to take a bit extra threat out there as shares which might be extra unstable – that’s, these with greater Beta values – ought to outperform the benchmark (in concept) throughout bull markets.

Nevertheless, Beta works each methods and may actually result in bigger draw-downs in periods of market weak point. Importantly, Beta merely measures the measurement of the strikes a safety makes.

Intuitively, it could make sense that prime Beta shares would outperform throughout bull markets. In spite of everything, these shares ought to be reaching greater than the benchmark’s returns given their excessive Beta values.

Whereas this may be true over brief intervals of time – notably the strongest components of the bull market – the excessive Beta names are usually the primary to be offered closely by traders.

One potential concept for this, is that traders are in a position to make use of leverage to bid up momentum names with excessive Beta values and thus, on common, these shares have decrease potential returns at any given time.

As well as, leveraged positions are among the many first to be offered by traders throughout weak intervals due to margin necessities or different financing issues that come up throughout bear markets.

Whereas excessive Beta names might outperform whereas the market is robust, as indicators of weak point start to point out, excessive Beta names are the primary to be offered and usually, far more strongly than the benchmark.

Certainly, proof suggests that in good years for the market, excessive Beta names seize 138% of the market’s complete returns.

In different phrases, if the market returned 10% in a yr, excessive Beta names would, on common, produce 13.8% returns. Nevertheless, throughout down years, excessive Beta names seize 243% of the market’s returns.

In an analogous instance, if the market misplaced 10% throughout a yr, the group of excessive Beta names would have returned -24.3%. Given this comparatively small outperformance throughout good instances and huge underperformance throughout weak intervals, it’s straightforward to see why we choose low Beta shares.

Associated: The S&P 500 Shares With Detrimental Beta.

Whereas low Beta shares aren’t a vaccine towards downturns out there, it’s a lot simpler to make the case over the long term for low Beta shares versus excessive Beta given how every group performs throughout bull and bear markets.

How To Calculate Beta

The formulation to calculate a safety’s Beta is pretty easy. The outcome, expressed as a quantity, exhibits the safety’s tendency to maneuver with the benchmark.

Due to this fact, a Beta worth of 1.00 signifies that the safety in query ought to transfer nearly in lockstep with the benchmark (as mentioned briefly within the introduction of this text).

A Beta of two.00 means strikes ought to be twice as giant in magnitude whereas a unfavourable Beta signifies that returns within the safety and benchmark are negatively correlated; these securities have a tendency to maneuver in the other way from the benchmark.

This form of safety could be useful to mitigate broad market weak point in a single’s portfolio as negatively correlated returns would recommend the safety in query would rise whereas the market falls.

For these traders in search of excessive Beta, shares with values in extra of 1.3 could be those to hunt out. These securities would provide traders no less than 1.3X the market’s returns for any given interval.

Right here’s a have a look at the formulation to compute Beta:

The numerator is the covariance of the asset in query whereas the denominator is the variance of the market. These complicated-sounding variables aren’t really that troublesome to compute.

Right here’s an instance of the info you’ll have to calculate Beta:

• Danger-free charge (sometimes Treasuries no less than two years out)
• Your asset’s charge of return over some interval (sometimes one yr to 5 years)
• Your benchmark’s charge of return over the identical interval because the asset

To point out how you can use these variables to do the calculation of Beta, we’ll assume a risk-free charge of two%, our inventory’s charge of return of 14% and the benchmark’s charge of return of 8%.

You begin by subtracting the risk-free charge of return from each the safety in query and the benchmark. On this case, our asset’s charge of return web of the risk-free charge could be 12% (14% – 2%). The identical calculation for the benchmark would yield 6% (8% – 2%).

These two numbers – 12% and 6%, respectively – are the numerator and denominator for the Beta formulation. Twelve divided by six yields a worth of two.00, and that’s the Beta for this hypothetical safety.

On common, we’d anticipate an asset with this Beta worth to be 200% as unstable because the benchmark.

Occupied with it one other manner, this asset ought to be about twice as unstable because the benchmark whereas nonetheless having its anticipated returns correlated in the identical path.

That’s, returns could be correlated with the market’s total path, however would return double what the market did throughout the interval.

This could be an instance of a really excessive Beta inventory and would provide a considerably greater threat profile than a median or low Beta inventory.

Beta & The Capital Asset Pricing Mannequin

The Capital Asset Pricing Mannequin, or CAPM, is a standard investing formulation that makes use of the Beta calculation to account for the time worth of cash in addition to the risk-adjusted returns anticipated for a specific asset.

Beta is a vital part of the CAPM as a result of with out it, riskier securities would seem extra favorable to potential traders. Their threat wouldn’t be accounted for within the calculation.

The CAPM formulation is as follows:

The variables are outlined as:

• ERi = Anticipated return of funding
• Rf = Danger-free charge
• βi = Beta of the funding
• ERm = Anticipated return of market

The danger-free charge is similar as within the Beta formulation, whereas the Beta that you just’ve already calculated is solely positioned into the CAPM formulation.

The anticipated return of the market (or benchmark) is positioned into the parentheses with the market threat premium, which can be from the Beta formulation. That is the anticipated benchmark’s return minus the risk-free charge.

To proceed our instance, right here is how the CAPM really works:

ER = 2% + 2.00(8% – 2%)

On this case, our safety has an anticipated return of 14% towards an anticipated benchmark return of 8%. In concept, this safety ought to vastly outperform the market to the upside however remember that throughout downturns, the safety would undergo considerably bigger losses than the benchmark.

If we modified the anticipated return of the market to -8% as a substitute of +8%, the identical equation yields anticipated returns for our hypothetical safety of -18%.

This safety would theoretically obtain stronger returns to the upside however actually a lot bigger losses on the draw back, highlighting the danger of excessive Beta names throughout something however robust bull markets.

Whereas the CAPM actually isn’t excellent, it’s comparatively straightforward to calculate and provides traders a way of comparability between two funding options.

Evaluation On The 5 Highest-Beta Dividend Shares

Now, we’ll check out the 5 dividend shares with the very best Beta scores (in ascending order from lowest to highest) within the Positive Evaluation Analysis Database:

#5: T. Rowe Worth Group (TROW)

T. Rowe Worth Group, based in 1937 and headquartered in Baltimore, MD, is likely one of the largest publicly traded asset managers.

The corporate supplies a broad array of mutual funds, sub-advisory providers, and separate account administration for particular person and institutional traders, retirement plans and monetary intermediaries.

T. Rowe Worth had property beneath administration (AUM) of practically $1.6 trillion as of March thirty first, 2025.

On February eleventh, 2025, T. Rowe Worth raised its quarterly dividend 2.4% to $1.27, marking the corporate’s thirty ninth yr of accelerating its payout.

On Could 2nd, 2025, T. Rowe Worth reported first quarter outcomes for the interval March thirty first, 2025. For the quarter, income grew 0.6% to $1.76 billion, although this was $20 million lower than anticipated.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of $2.23 in contrast unfavorably to $2.38 within the prior yr, however this beat estimates by $0.10.

Throughout the quarter, AUMs of $1.57 billion grew 1.9% year-over-year, however decreased 4.2% sequentially. Market depreciation of $37.1 billion and web money outflows of $19.2 billion have been partially offset by will increase in cash market and multi-asset inflows.

TROW has a Beta worth of 1.53.

Click on right here to obtain our most up-to-date Positive Analysis report on TROW (preview of web page 1 of three proven beneath):

#4: Apollo International (APO)

Apollo International is an alternate asset supervisor that was based in 1990 and went public in 2011. The corporate takes funding capital and places it to work wherever it sees alternative, together with in credit score, non-public fairness, and buyouts of firms.

Belongings beneath administration have grown by greater than 5 instances up to now decade and sit at ~$750 billion at present.

Apollo posted first quarter earnings on Could 2nd, 2025, and outcomes have been barely weaker than anticipated. Adjusted earnings-per-share got here to $1.82, which was two cents gentle of estimates.

Earnings fell from $2.22 in This fall however was greater from $1.72 a yr in the past. Whole property beneath administration of $785 billion rose from inflows of $43 billion in Q1, and $175 billion within the trailing-twelve-month interval.

Price-related earnings have been $559 million, up from $462 million a yr in the past. Administration charges have been $770 million, up from $652 million a yr in the past. Unfold-related earnings have been $826 million, up barely from $817 million a yr in the past. Dry powder ended the quarter at $64 billion, up from $61 billion on the finish of 2024.

Apollo additionally raised its dividend by 10% to a brand new payout of $2.04 per share yearly.

APO has a Beta worth of 1.60.

Click on right here to obtain our most up-to-date Positive Evaluation report on APO (preview of web page 1 of three proven beneath):

#3: Albemarle Corp. (ALB)

Albemarle is the most important producer of lithium and second largest producer of bromine on the planet. The 2 merchandise account for practically two-thirds of annual gross sales.

Albemarle produces lithium from its salt brine deposits within the U.S. and Chile. The corporate has two joint ventures in Australia that additionally produce lithium. Albemarle’s Chile property provide a really low-cost supply of lithium. The corporate operates in practically 100 international locations.

On April thirtieth, 2025, Albemarle reported first quarter outcomes for the interval ending March thirty first, 2025. For the quarter, income fell 20.6% to $1.08 billion, however this missed estimates by $80 million.

Adjusted earnings-per-share of -$0.18 in contrast unfavorably to $0.26 within the prior yr, however this was $0.48 higher than anticipated.

Outcomes have been impacted weaker common costs for lithium. For the quarter, income for Vitality Storage was down 34.5% to $524.6 million. This phase was impression by decrease costs (-34%) whereas quantity was unchanged.

Revenues for Specialties have been up 1.6% to $321 million as quantity (+11%) was offset by a lower in pricing (-8%). Ketjen gross sales of $231.5 million decreased 5.1% from the prior yr as greater costs (+4%) solely partially offset a lower in quantity (-8%).

Albemarle offered an outlook for 2025 as effectively, with the corporate anticipating income in a variety of $4.9 billion to $5.2 billion no less than.

ALB has a Beta worth of 1.63.

Click on right here to obtain our most up-to-date Positive Evaluation report on ALB (preview of web page 1 of three proven beneath):

#2: Blackstone Group LP (BX)

Blackstone, based in 1985 by Peter Peterson and Stephen Schwarzman (nonetheless CEO), is likely one of the main funding companies globally.

On the finish of March thirty first, 2025, the corporate held $1.17 trillion in property beneath administration (AUM), working in Non-public Fairness (32% of AUM), Actual Property (27%), Credit score (33%) and Hedge Fund Options (8%).

On April seventeenth, 2025, Blackstone posted its Q1 outcomes for the interval ending March thirty first, 2025. Administration and advisory charges equaled $1.90 billion, up 11% year-over-year.

Incentive charges grew by 7% to $191.8 million. Additional, efficiency allocations have been $825.3 million, down from $1.10 billion final yr. Thus, regardless of flat curiosity and dividend earnings at $97.4 million, complete revenues landed at $3.29 billion, down 11% year-over-year.

Distributable earnings throughout the quarter equaled $1.41 billion or $1.09 per share, up 11% year-over-year. Whole property beneath administration equaled $1.17 trillion, up 10% year-over-year, pushed by $199.1 billion in inflows throughout the previous 12 months.

BX has a Beta worth of 1.66.

Click on right here to obtain our most up-to-date Positive Evaluation report on BX (preview of web page 1 of three proven beneath):

#1: Nucor Corp. (NUE)

Nucor is the most important publicly traded US-based metal company based mostly on its market capitalization. The metal business is notoriously cyclical, which makes Nucor’s streak of 52 consecutive years of dividend will increase much more exceptional.

Nucor is a member of the Dividend Kings as a result of its dividend historical past.

On April 28, 2025, Nucor Company reported its monetary outcomes for the primary quarter of 2025. The corporate posted web earnings attributable to stockholders of $156 million, or $0.67 per diluted share, a major lower from $845 million, or $3.46 per share, in the identical quarter of the earlier yr.

Adjusted web earnings, excluding one-time prices associated to facility closures and repurposing, have been $179 million, or $0.77 per share, surpassing analyst expectations of $0.64 per share.

Internet gross sales for the quarter have been $7.83 billion, down 4% year-over-year however up 11% sequentially, pushed by a ten% enhance in complete shipments to six.83 million tons, regardless of a 12% decline in common gross sales worth per ton in comparison with the primary quarter of 2024.

The metal mills phase contributed $231 million in pre-tax earnings, benefiting from greater volumes and improved pricing, whereas the metal merchandise phase generated $288 million, dealing with strain from decrease common promoting costs.

NUE has a Beta worth of 1.69.

Click on right here to obtain our most up-to-date Positive Evaluation report on NUE (preview of web page 1 of three proven beneath):

Closing Ideas

Buyers should take threat into consideration when deciding on potential investments. In spite of everything, if two securities are in any other case related when it comes to anticipated returns however one provides a a lot decrease Beta, the investor would do effectively to pick out the low Beta safety as it could provide higher risk-adjusted returns.

Utilizing Beta will help traders decide which securities will produce extra volatility than the broader market, akin to those listed right here.

The 5 shares we’ve checked out provide traders excessive Beta scores together with very robust potential returns.

For traders who need to take some further threat of their portfolio, these names and others like them in our listing of the 100 finest excessive Beta shares will help decide what to search for when deciding on a excessive Beta inventory to purchase.

At Positive Dividend, we regularly advocate for investing in firms with a excessive chance of accelerating their dividends every yr.

If that technique appeals to you, it could be helpful to flick thru the next databases of dividend progress shares: