What Made 2017 Such a Breakthrough Year for America's Biggest Companies and Beyond

2017 turned out to be an exceptional year for stock market investors. The S&P 500 climbed 19.9% from its January opening, a solid foundation for growth. But beneath this overall surge lay extraordinary performances from select companies that outpaced the broader index by significant margins. The worst performer among this elite group delivered 75% returns, while several more than doubled their shareholders’ wealth. Let’s examine which among the biggest companies in the US and their peers captured the most dramatic gains.

The Chip Revolution and Memory Leaders

The semiconductor sector became a standout winner, particularly companies focused on memory technology. Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) more than doubled its value, hitting nearly $50 per share before retreating slightly. The company reported stunning earnings of $2.45 per share during one quarter on $6.8 billion in revenues, crushing expectations of $2.19 per share and $6.4 billion respectively.

Micron’s dominance stems from explosive demand for Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Flash memory chips. As prices approached hard drive levels, opportunities exploded in mobile devices and cloud infrastructure. Despite its Boise, Idaho headquarters far from Silicon Valley, Micron generated over $20 billion in revenues during fiscal 2017, compared to $12.4 billion the prior year. The company now employs over 31,000 workers, a dramatic recovery from earlier layoffs.

Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA) captured attention with an 81% surge, pushing its valuation to almost $120 billion. This chip designer focuses on graphics processing, essential for Bitcoin mining, artificial intelligence applications, and autonomous vehicles. Sales grew 40% to $6.9 billion in fiscal 2017, with gross margins expanding steadily. At nearly $200 per share currently, up from just $12 five years earlier, Nvidia demonstrates the transformative power of positioning in emerging technologies.

Medical Innovation and Biotech Breakthroughs

Align Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALGN) claimed the year’s top spot with a 128% surge since January, driven by its computer-assisted orthodontic technology. The company projects $1.476 billion in annual revenue, up from $1.08 billion in 2016, translating to $3.67 per share in earnings. Its Invisalign clear aligners have transformed dental treatment, with the iTero Interoral Scanner compatible across 3,000 dental labs globally.

Analysts project teen adoption will drive the next phase of growth, as young consumers embrace pain-free alternatives to traditional braces. Twelve of thirteen analysts covering the stock maintained buy ratings throughout the year. The possibility of acquisition by larger pharma or dental conglomerates like Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) could trigger substantial upside.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ: VRTX) transformed from a rare disease specialist into a biotech powerhouse, with shares gaining 103% and market capitalization reaching nearly $38 billion. The company invested heavily in research, ramping its R&D budget to $455 million from $289 million in the prior quarter. This spending secured Vertex’s position as the undisputed leader in cystic fibrosis treatment, with projections suggesting it can soon treat 90% of sufferers through combination therapies.

CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology represents the company’s most transformative opportunity. Vertex holds rights to license six CRISPR-based drugs, having selected CTX001 for inherited blood disorders as its initial target. Sickle cell anemia treatment represents the next frontier. Deutsche Bank analysts valued the company at $205 per share—over $50 billion—reflecting speculation of potential acquisition in 2018.

Energy and Real Estate Pivots

NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE: NRG) delivered the year’s best energy sector performance, surging 124% despite an oil and gas headwind. This utility, descended from Texas’s deregulated energy market, holds substantial wind and solar assets. The company reported $10.3 billion in projected market capitalization against $8.55 billion in assets, delivering estimated quarterly profits of $170 million or 62 cents per share.

NRG’s transformation reflects management’s pivot toward renewable energy after acquiring Green Mountain Energy in 2010, becoming America’s largest green power provider. CEO Mauricio Gutierrez’s decision to sell up to $4 billion in assets and exit coal-heavy liabilities repositioned the company as a focused utility operator. Since December 2015 lows, the stock appreciated nearly 160% under new direction.

Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ: WYNN) jumped 94% as the year’s best-performing casino stock, powered by real estate strategy rather than gaming revenues. The company assembled 280 acres on the Las Vegas Strip in December, acquiring the former New Frontier Hotel site for $336 million. Between September 2016 and September 2017, revenues surged nearly 50% from $1.1 billion to $1.6 billion.

While carrying $10.2 billion in debt against $12.4 billion in assets, Wynn maintained over $3 billion in cash reserves to develop Las Vegas properties and the planned Wynn Boston Harbor resort opening in 2019. The company’s market capitalization reached $17.4 billion by December’s close, valuing founder Steve Wynn’s stake at approximately $3.4 billion.

Financial Services and Transportation

Paypal Holdings Inc. (NYSE: PYPL) surged over 90% during 2017, benefiting from fintech sector momentum alongside payment processors. Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) climbed 45% and Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) gained 46%, reflecting rising valuations for transaction providers. Paypal, with a market cap around $58 billion, positions itself as a nimble alternative to payment giants.

The company projected nearly $13 billion in 2017 revenues with approximately 15% reaching net income—a 20% improvement over 2016. Paypal’s ecosystem includes Venmo for mobile payments, Xoom for international transfers, and its core payment platform. Recent backing of European fintech marketplace Raisin demonstrates continued expansion ambitions.

Boeing Co. (NYSE: BA) unexpectedly appeared on this list with an 89% gain despite already commanding a nearly $100 billion market cap at year start. The aerospace giant generated $20 billion in operating cash flows during its first three quarters alone, exceeding all of 2016. Though military contracts represent only 15% of business at $14.6 billion, they provide steady revenue alongside commercial jet production.

The company rolled out the fuel-efficient 777, with the next-generation 797 mid-market aircraft planned for 2018 announcement. CEO Dennis Muilenberg promised increased capital investment, supported by favorable tax treatment and trade policy support.

Housing and Software Infrastructure

D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE: DHI) achieved 87% gains as an unconventional homebuilder choice. Based in Arlington, Texas, the company operates mortgage and title insurance divisions alongside construction. Revenues grew steadily at 20% annually, reaching $14 billion for the year ending September, with margins around 7% of revenue.

The company steadily reduced debt, representing less than 25% of assets by September 2017. Despite year-to-date appreciation, the stock traded at less than 19 times earnings compared to the S&P 500 average of over 25 times earnings. Since the 2009 economic recovery began, shares appreciated over 450%, more than doubling S&P 500 performance.

Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT) surged 76% as open-source computing moved from niche to cloud infrastructure standard. The Raleigh, NC-based company provides paid support for its Linux distribution and enterprise offerings. OpenShift, its container solution for cloud applications, became the standout product, allowing companies to segregate and manage applications independently.

For fiscal year 2017, Red Hat delivered $253.7 million in net income or $1.39 per share on $2.41 billion revenues. The company has repeatedly exceeded analyst earnings estimates, driving stock momentum. CEO Jim Whitehurst, leading since 2008, compares open-source and cloud standards to 19th-century industrial standardization that enabled mass production.

The Broader Lesson

These ten stocks demonstrate that 2017 rewarded diverse strategies across technology, healthcare, energy, real estate, and traditional manufacturing. While none of the so-called FANG stocks—Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ: FB), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX), and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG, GOOGL)—appeared on this list due to their already massive scales, the winners collectively illustrated how America’s biggest companies and emerging leaders alike could generate outsized returns through strategic positioning in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and biotech innovation.