Want to know what retail investors actually care about? Follow the search data. MarketDash tracks hundreds of headlines and press releases daily, giving traders access to real-time market news and stock information. The most-searched tickers reveal which companies captured investor attention throughout the year, and the 2025 rankings tell a fascinating story about changing market priorities.

Here's how interest in the most-searched names evolved from 2024 through mid-2025 to the full year. All prices and performance data are based on closing prices as of December 31, 2025, and don't include dividends.

The Top 10 Most-Searched Stocks of 2025

1. SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $681.92
• 2025 Price Range: $481.81 to $691.65
• 2025 Return: +16.6%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: 1st
• 2024 Search Rank: 3rd

2. Tesla Inc (TSLA)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $449.72
• 2025 Price Range: $214.25 to $489.83
• 2025 Return: +18.6%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: 2nd
• 2024 Search Rank: 2nd

3. NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $186.50
• 2025 Price Range: $86.62 to $212.49
• 2025 Return: +34.8%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: 3rd
• 2024 Search Rank: 1st

4. Palantir Technologies (PLTR)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $177.75
• 2025 Price Range: $63.40 to $207.52
• 2025 Return: +136.4%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: 4th
• 2024 Search Rank: Not in Top 20

5. Opendoor Technologies (OPEN)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $5.83
• 2025 Price Range: $0.51 to $10.87
• 2025 Return: +264.4%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: Not in Top 20
• 2024 Search Rank: Not in Top 20

6. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $214.16
• 2025 Price Range: $76.48 to $267.08
• 2025 Return: +77.5%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: 9th
• 2024 Search Rank: 6th

7. Apple Inc (AAPL)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $271.86
• 2025 Price Range: $169.21 to $288.61
• 2025 Return: +11.5%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: 12th
• 2024 Search Rank: 5th

8. Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $614.31
• 2025 Price Range: $402.39 to $637.01
• 2025 Return: +20.4%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: 11th
• 2024 Search Rank: 8th

9. CoreWeave Inc (CRWV)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $71.61
• 2025 Price Range: $33.52 to $187.00
• 2025 Return: +79.0%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: 7th
• 2024 Search Rank: Not in Top 20

10. Amazon.com Inc (AMZN)

• 2025 Year-End Price: $230.82
• 2025 Price Range: $161.43 to $258.60
• 2025 Return: +4.8%
• First Half 2025 Search Rank: 13th
• 2024 Search Rank: 9th

Just Outside the Top 10

Ranking just outside the top 10 for the full year were Meta Platforms (META) and Rigetti Computing (RGTI) at 11th and 12th, respectively. Meta ranked 15th halfway through 2025 and ranked 11th in 2024. Rigetti didn't crack the top 20 at the halfway point of 2025 or in the 2024 rankings, making its year-end appearance particularly notable.

What the Rankings Tell Us About 2025

The top three spots remained occupied by the same tickers that dominated 2024 and mid-2025, though the order shifted. Nvidia lost its crown from 2024, sliding to third place, while the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust climbed to first. These three tickers consistently topped monthly search rankings throughout the year, underscoring their importance to traders and the broader markets.

Palantir claimed fourth place for the full year, rising from seventh in 2024. As one of the top-performing S&P 500 stocks in 2025 with a 136.4% gain, Palantir continues to be a favorite among retail investors drawn to its AI and data analytics story.

Opendoor Technologies emerged as perhaps the most surprising story. The real estate technology company ranked fifth for the full year despite not appearing in the top 20 at mid-year or in 2024. With a jaw-dropping 264.4% return, it was the top percentage gainer among the 12 most-searched tickers. Retail investors clearly took notice as the stock surged in the second half of the year.

AMD held steady, maintaining its sixth-place ranking from 2024. The chip maker saw stronger interest in the second half of 2025, climbing from ninth place at the midway point to finish sixth for the full year.

The big-name tech stalwarts Apple, Invesco QQQ Trust, and Amazon all ranked in the top 10 for searches in 2024. After slipping outside the top 10 at the halfway point, all three finished strong to reclaim their positions in the year-end top 10.

CoreWeave went public in March 2025 and immediately became one of the hottest IPOs. The AI infrastructure company ranked among the most-searched tickers for several months and finished the year in ninth place, reflecting intense investor interest in companies powering the AI boom.

The Big Dropouts

While it's interesting to see which stocks gained or maintained dominance, the dropouts tell an equally important story about shifting investor sentiment.

Falling out of the top 10 from 2024's most-searched tickers were Super Micro Computer (SMCI) and GameStop Corporation (GME), which had ranked fourth and 10th, respectively. Super Micro's decline in search interest matched its turbulent year marked by accounting concerns and dramatic price swings.

Stocks that ranked in the top 10 at the mid-2025 mark but failed to stay there included Hims & Hers Health (HIMS), UnitedHealth Group (UNH), Super Micro Computer, and Oklo Inc (OKLO).

These trends suggest several narratives. Interest in Super Micro Computer clearly waned as the year progressed. Meanwhile, Opendoor and Palantir captured retail imagination more effectively than GameStop, perhaps signaling a shift away from meme stock mania toward growth stories with stronger fundamentals. Nuclear energy stocks like Oklo fell out of favor in the second half of 2025, possibly as initial AI power infrastructure enthusiasm cooled.

The 2025 search rankings paint a picture of retail investors increasingly focused on established market proxies like SPY, AI infrastructure plays, and high-growth tech names with actual revenue growth. The days of pure speculation may not be over, but the most-searched list suggests retail traders are getting a bit more selective about where they place their attention.