The Dow Jones Industrial Average has had a relatively good year. The 30-stock blue-chip index was on track to end the year down 8.6% late Friday. That means it has performed the best of the three indexes, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite expected to lose 19.3% and 32.9%, respectively. It peaked earlier this year, hitting an intraday high of 36,952.65 on Jan. 5. This is 11.3% higher than Friday’s close. The index hit a low of 28,660.94 on October 13, about 13.7% below the Dow’s close on Friday. Sam Stovall, director of investment strategy at CFRA, said the Dow has performed better this year due to its focus on value-driven rather than growth stocks, which have been hit hard by the Investors reduce risks amid growing recession fears. But he did say that 2023 could be a year of market recovery. In that case, he said, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite could see a larger rebound from larger declines this year. “The Dow benefits by having less exposure to decliners and more exposure to good growth stocks,” Stovall said. However, “the implication would be what kind of saved Dow could then hold it in 2023.” Similarly, he said stocks that pull the index down could lead it in the new year. According to FactSet, 10 of the 30 mid-cap stocks are on track to end the year with gains on Friday. Here are the best and worst performing stocks in the index this year and what analysts think will happen next. Data from FactSet, current through Friday. Winners Chevron, the best-performing stock this year, is on track for a 51.2% gain. Shares pushed up along with other energy names as commodities spiked following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Chevron is doing slightly worse than the broader S&P 500 energy sector, which added 58.1% in the same period. The stock is a favorite of Wall Street, with the average analyst rating it too high and expecting a 7.4% gain from Friday’s close. The biopharmaceutical name Merck followed, adding 46%. The stock rallied late in the fall after strong third-quarter earnings and an upbeat outlook fueled by strong performance from some of the company’s drugs. About 65% of analysts rate a stock it’s overweight or bought. However, the team sees little growth from here, with an expected gain of just 1.8%. Rounding out the top 5 is Caterpillar, which is up 16% year-to-date. Investors have been looking to the stock for its solid earnings and future expectations as the growth stock plunges, especially in the last months of the year. In total, 41% of analysts tracking Caterpillar have eaten it or been overbought, but the consensus is that the stock will drop slightly by 0.2% over the next 12 months. Losers Intel was the worst performer in the index, having lost 49.3%. Advanced Micro Devices, which is not in the Dow, has overtaken Intel for the first time to become the largest chipmaker by market capitalization this year. The chip sector has faced continued challenges from supply chain disruptions, combined with a shift in consumer spending from goods requiring chips to services this year. Overall, 61% of analysts rate the stock as a hold with a price target that implies a 15.2% gain. Salesforce closed, down 49.1% year-to-date as investors diverged from growth in favor of value names amid recession fears. Still, analysts like the stock, with its median price target showing a 50.8% gain. But even meeting that uptrend, the stock is still a long way from its 52-week high of $260.78 on December 28, 2021. This highlights the challenges that the company faces. Technology will continue to face when the economy is in recession. Next year could be particularly difficult for Salesforce given its focus on workplace technology specifically for headcounts as companies move to layoffs or freezes hiring. Disney was also among the worst performers, down 43.2%. The entertainment giant has had a dramatic year, marked by the replacement of CEO Bob Chapek with Disney’s previous CEO, Bob Iger. Investors’ concerns stemmed in part from the company’s lowering of its 2024 subscription target for Disney+. More than four out of five, or 82%, rate the stock as too much or a buy, with an expected upside rate of 35.9%.