March 2025 might seem like ages ago in market years, as the Trump tariffs have rocked the market like few things before it. However, the trends in March are not so different from what’s happening now, as consumer sentiment was rapidly weakening and fears of a recession were mounting before the tariff announcement.
Let’s take a look at the two best-performing Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI 0.78%) companies to see if they’re worth buying today.
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1. UnitedHealth Group (up 10.3% in March)
UnitedHealth Group (UNH -2.16%) is one of the most resilient stocks on the market. Healthcare is considered a recession-proof industry, but health insurance is even more unaffected by the economy because people need coverage regardless.
It’s not a surprise, then, that investors have piled into the stock in March and have continued to do so through the tariff-related chaos of April.
There was no major company-specific news out on UnitedHealth in March, and investors seem to be returning to the stock after it tumbled following the assassination of one of its executives in December 2024.
UnitedHealth has been one of the rare winners on the stock market in April, gaining 15% thanks to a 5.06% increase in Medicare Advantage benchmarks and its reputation as a port in a storm during turbulent market times.
2. Chevron (up 5.5% in March)
Chevron (CVX -0.30%) might seem like a surprise on this list as the energy sector is typically highly sensitive to the economic cycle.
The source of Chevron’s gains was a surprising one, as Reuters reported that the company was angling for a piece of the data center market, developing the sites and supplying the electricity for facilities.
Data center demand is surging along with AI, and the energy to power it is at a premium.
However, while that was a smart strategic move, it wasn’t enough to keep the stock climbing in April as it fell sharply after tariffs were announced. Chevron will continue to be sensitive to the health of the global economy and oil prices.
