These 5 Stocks Dominated the Dow Jones Industrial Average in August 2025 - Here’s Who Crushed It

Wall Street's blue chips just delivered a masterclass in August performance—while traditional finance scrambled to keep up.

The Top Performers

Five stocks absolutely ripped through the index, leaving analysts scrambling to update their price targets. These weren't marginal gains—we're talking serious momentum that had institutional money chasing returns.

Market Dynamics

While crypto markets flirted with new highs, these legacy players proved old-school equities still pack a punch. Funny how traditional finance suddenly remembers how to generate returns when digital assets start breathing down their neck.

August's lesson? Even dinosaurs can learn new tricks when there's profit involved—though we'd still take blockchain transparency over their quarterly report gymnastics any day.

Image source: Getty Images.

(MSFT -0.10%) and(CAT 1.73%) lagged behind, with August drops of 4% or more. Meanwhile, health insurance giant(UNH 2.17%) outweighed those underperformers with an index-leading 24.2% price gain.

Let's check out the rest of the top-performing Dow Jones stocks last month.

1. UnitedHealth Group (up 24.2%)

UnitedHealth took a tumble with a weak earnings report at the end of July, but bounced back in August. The stock soared on Aug. 15, as Warren Buffett'sreported a brand-new position of 5 million shares in the stock. The $3.3 billion merger with home health specialist Amedisys was completed on the same day, adding fuel to the fires. All told, UnitedHealth's stock moved 0.7% lower across the two-month span of July and August.

2. Apple (up 11.8%)

iPhone maker(AAPL 1.32%) surged 12% in the first week of August. The company addressed tariff concerns by expanding its domestic manufacturing commitments. The four-year commitment of an additional $100 billion includes partnerships withand.

3. American Express (up 10.7%)

Credit services giant(AXP 2.17%) sprinted higher by landing several valuable sporting sponsorships in the Miami area. The deals include the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Dolphins football team.

4. Home Depot (up 10.7%)

Home improvement retailer(HD 2.45%) reported modest Q2 results last month. The stock still rose; management said that consumers are just delaying their big-ticket home improvement projects. The financial results should improve over time.

5. Sherwin-Williams (up 10.6%)

Paint retailer(SHW 2.77%) followed the same themes as Home Depot. Instead of an earnings report, the global company refinanced its credit facilities with better terms in Canada and Europe.