The S&P 500 experienced a 1.4% decline last week, driven by rising Treasury bond yields and concerns over national debt, despite Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's announcement of a debt buyback program aimed at stabilizing the bond market. In this context, CNBC Pro identified stocks that have historically performed positively during significant market downturns.
The analysis focused on stocks that were up at least 50% of the time on days when the S&P 500 faced substantial declines, while also having a favorable outlook based on analyst price targets. Kroger emerged as a strong performer, rising nearly 70% of the time during S&P 500 downturns, although it has seen a drop of over 7% in 2026, with analysts forecasting a potential rebound of more than 26%.
Southern Company also showed resilience, rising in 63% of down sessions, with a projected 10% increase over the next year, despite underperforming the S&P 500 in 2026. Cboe Global Markets stood out with a 75% positive performance rate during market declines and has gained almost 20% in 2026, with analysts predicting an additional 6% rise.
These stocks may offer investors a degree of protection in a turbulent market environment