Agriculture stocks outperform Dow S&P 500 and Nasdaq in early 2026
According to Agri-Marketing its agriculture-related stocks performed strongly during the first half of 2026, surpassing the returns of major U.S. stock market indexes.
In comparison, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 8%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq increased by 9% and 12%, respectively.
The index has also shown long-term strength. Since its launch in January 2006, it has gained 217%. During the same period, the Dow gained 220%, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq advanced 406% and 397%.
Several agricultural companies delivered impressive gains in the first half of 2026. Irrigation equipment manufacturer Valmont Industries led the index with a 36% increase. Fertilizer producer CF Industries followed closely with a 35% gain, while farm machinery manufacturer Deere & Company rose 34%.
Other top performers included grain processing company Archer Daniels Midland, up 30%, and Bayer, which operates in crop protection and seed markets, with a 29% increase.
Not all companies recorded gains. Animal health company Zoetis posted the largest decline, falling 42%. Tractor Supply Co. dropped 36%, while American Vanguard, FMC Corp., and Trimble also ended the period lower.
Several other agriculture businesses posted moderate gains. CNH Industrial increased 17%, Corteva rose 23%, AGCO gained 10%, Elanco advanced 7%, and BASF recorded a 4% increase. Nutrien finished the period unchanged, while The Mosaic Company declined 15%.
The results highlight continued investor confidence in the agriculture sector, particularly in fertilizer, machinery, grain processing, and crop protection businesses. Despite mixed performance among individual companies, agriculture stocks as a group outperformed broader market benchmarks during the first half of 2026.