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With less than two months remaining in 2026, the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) appears to be headed for yet another double-digit percentage gain. However, only two of the so-called "Magnificent Seven" stocks are beating the market -- Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).
Investors seeking truly magnificent performances should look elsewhere, though. Three healthcare stocks are crushing the Magnificent Seven stocks.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA) is delivering an even better year than in 2020 and 2021, when the company vaulted into the limelight with its COVID-19 vaccine. The biotech stock has skyrocketed more than 620% so far in 2026.
COVID isn't the catalyst for Moderna this time, though. Instead, it's the company's personalized messenger RNA (mRNA) cancer vaccine, intismeran autogene. In August 2026, Moderna and its big partner, Merck (NYSE: MRK), announced impressive results from a late-stage study of the cancer vaccine combined with Merck's blockbuster immunotherapy Keytruda in the treatment of melanoma.
Moderna has high hopes that intismeran autogene will prove safe and effective for treating multiple types of cancer in addition to melanoma. The company, along with Merck, is evaluating the experimental vaccine in combination with Keytruda in clinical studies targeting lung, kidney, and bladder cancer, among others.
Twist Bioscience (NASDAQ: TWST) makes synthetic DNA. Scientists and drug developers use this DNA. Twist's silicon-based manufacturing platform allows the company to produce DNA more efficiently, faster, and more cheaply than older methods.
Synthetic DNA is selling like hotcakes these days. Twist reported its 14th consecutive quarter of revenue growth in August 2026, with revenue jumping 23% year over year to $118.4 million. The company is on track to reach adjusted EBITDA breakeven in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Investors have rewarded Twist for its commercial success. The stock has more than quintupled year to date, even after a significant pullback in recent weeks. That return is more than 16 times greater than the return of the best-performing Magnificent Seven stock this year.
10X Genomics (NASDAQ: TXG) hasn't delivered the impressive revenue growth that Twist has. The life sciences technology company's sales increased only 3% year over year in its latest quarter.
However, 10X Genomics' stock has jumped nearly as much as Twist's so far this year, up almost 400%. Similar to Twist, 10X's performance has been dampened by a recent pullback.
Several factors explain 10X Genomics' momentum. The company won a patent infringement lawsuit against Parse Biosciences, a subsidiary of Qiagen (NYSE: QGEN). It launched a new product, Atera, which profiles gene activity at the single-cell level across larger tissue areas with greater sensitivity than previous technologies. 10X also introduced Sentira, a product that reduces spatial data processing times from hours to minutes.
High-flying growth stocks are often popular with Wall Street analysts. However, that isn't always the case.
The consensus 12-month price target for Moderna is roughly 49% below its current share price. Unsurprisingly, only three of the 20 analysts who have rated the biotech stock over the last three months recommended buying it.
Many on Wall Street also expect Twist Bioscience's momentum to falter. The average price target for the stock is 11% below the current share price. On the other hand, eight of 11 analysts recommend buying Twist's shares.
Similarly, the consensus price target for 10X Genomics is around 16% below its current share price. Of the 16 analysts who rated the stock in the last three months, seven gave it a "buy" rating and nine recommended holding.
I don't always agree with Wall Street, but I suspect analysts are right that the stocks of Moderna, Twist Bioscience, and 10X Genomics could slide over the next 12 months. For investors seeking near-term profits, other stocks offer more attractive risk-reward propositions. However, any significant sell-offs could present great buying opportunities for long-term investors.
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Keith Speights has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends 10x Genomics, Apple, Merck, Moderna, Nvidia, and Twist Bioscience. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
These 3 Stocks Are Crushing the "Magnificent Seven" This Year -- Are They Still Buys? was originally published by The Motley Fool
