Rising over 13% in 2024, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged the S&P 500, which soared 23%. But the diversity among the performances of the individual Dow Jones stocks was considerable.

While Boeing dragged the index down last year, Nvidia (NVDA -3.00%) took up the slack and was the best-performing Dow Jones stock of 2024. Let's take a look at the other names that rounded out the top-performing Dow Jones stocks.

1. Nvidia (up 171%)

From consistently surpassing analysts' expectations when it reported quarterly financial results to proclaiming that it continues to benefit from enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), Nvidia -- a new addition to the Dow Jones -- provided investors with plenty to get excited about last year.

2. Walmart (up 72%)

Walmart (WMT 1.31%) management had recognized the importance of expanding its e-commerce business to remain competitive, and its initiatives showed success in 2024 -- highlighted in the third quarter of fiscal 2025, ended Oct. 25, 2024, when the company reported comparable sales growth of 22% and 43% for U.S. and international businesses, respectively.

3. American Express (up 58%)

Apple may be the largest holding in the Berkshire Hathaway portfolio, but American Express (AXP -3.15%) holds a prominent spot as the second-largest position. While Warren Buffett sold other financial stocks in 2024, he remained committed to American Express, a financial stalwart that provided investors with plenty of reasons to click the buy button last year.

4. Goldman Sachs (up 48%)

Goldman Sachs (GS -3.45%) achieved consistent year-over-year earnings-per-share growth when it reported quarterly financial results last year, one of many reasons why investors chose to buy the banking stock.

5. Amazon (up 44%)

Failing to match its 167% gain in 2023, Amazon (AMZN -1.44%) stock still rose notably last year as investors chose it for its prominent position in AI as well as its commanding e-commerce presence.

Should you buy these Dow Jones darlings now?

While the top-performing Dow Jones stocks of 2024 are worthy of serious consideration, potential investors should certainly perform their due diligence to ensure that the stocks match their individual investing goals.