The year is nearing its halfway mark, and global stocks have been doing much better than they had in volatile 2022. The S & P 500 is up over 7% in the year to date, and the MSCI World index is up around 8% in the same period. Most notably, Japan's Nikkei index on Monday hit its highest level since Nov. 24, 2021, according to
analysis. Many stocks have soared and beaten the overall market, but there's still more room for investor bullishness. Pro screened for stocks that are beating the market nearly halfway into the year — and that analysts love. These are the criteria used: Up more than 10% so far in 2023 and beating the market At least half of analysts rate the stock a buy Consensus price targets offering upside of at least 20% First Citizens BancShares stood out for being among the top year-to-date performers , with analysts giving it a high average potential upside and among the highest buy ratings in the list .
's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.