The first full month of 2025 is in the books, and the stock market is off to a decent start. The major indexes -- the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite, and Dow Jones Industrial Average -- were up 2.7%, 1.6%, and 4.7%, respectively.

In a change of pace from previous months, the Nasdaq took a back seat to the Dow, as sectors like financial services, energy, and industrials outperformed tech. Nevertheless, there were plenty of big winners in the Nasdaq-100. Here are the top five performers during the month of January. 18%

The top five

Below are the top five stocks in the Nasdaq-100 based on price performance between Jan. 1 and Feb. 1, 2025:

  1. Constellation Energy (CEG -4.68%), up 34%
  2. Arm Holdings (ARM -6.30%), up 29%
  3. Atlassian (TEAM -4.08%), up 26%
  4. Starbucks (SBUX -4.35%), up 18%
  5. Meta Platforms (META -6.53%), up 18%

Two themes emerge from this list: artificial intelligence (AI) and better-than-expected earnings reports.

First off, artificial intelligence remained a winning theme. Constellation Energy, Arm Holdings, and Meta Platforms are tied to the AI sector through rising data center energy demand, semiconductor design licensing, and AI implementation, respectively.

Meanwhile, shares of Atlassian surged after the company's fourth-quarter earnings release topped expectations, both in terms of results and forward guidance.

Finally, Starbucks also reported an upbeat earnings report. The company's new CEO, Brian Niccol, is working to turn around this iconic American brand, whose stock has underperformed the market for several years.

Are any of these stocks buys right now?

In short, yes, all of them are worth considering. That's because the catalysts that pushed these stocks higher in January remain in place. So, while they may not be suitable for every portfolio, growth-seeking investors would be wise to keep these stocks near the top of their watch list.