The S&P 500 was up 9.6% for April, based on trading action early on Thursday. The large-cap U.S. benchmark index was headed toward its biggest one-month gain since November 2020, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
This is how the 11 sectors of the S&P 500 SPX fared for the month, based on early trading on April 30. All price changes in this article exclude dividends. The sectors are sorted by April's price gains, with the full index at the bottom:
The information technology sector was in the lead with a 17.7% gain, as semiconductor stocks continued their charge. The PHLX Semiconductor Index SOX was up 36.7% for April for a year-to-date gain of 46%, after rising 42% in 2025. This index of 30 chip makers and associated equipment manufacturers is tracked by the iShares Semiconductor ETF SOXX.
Intel $(INTC)$ has been the biggest April winner in the S&P 500. The stock more than doubled in price as the company continued its multiyear turnaround. Intel thrilled investors last week when it reported quarterly results that included revenue growth far ahead of analysts' expectations.
Among the S&P 500, 61% of stocks were up for April, based on early trading action on Thursday. There were 41 stocks among the 500 that were up at least 20% for the month and 66 that showed monthly gains of at least 15%.
Here are the 20 stocks in the S&P 500 showing the largest gains for April, early on Thursday: