The S & P 500 is up nearly 14% year to date, putting it on track for its best first-half performance since 2021. In fact, three of the best-performing S & P 500 stocks in the first half rode the wave more than most: Nvidia , Meta Platforms and Tesla . All three stocks have at least doubled year to date, with Nvidia leading the way. The chipmaker is up more than 180% in 2023, while Meta and Tesla are up 137% and 107%, respectively. Nvidia has quickly become an AI darling on Wall Street, with many analysts calling it the best way to gain exposure to the burgeoning trend due to its chips.

---

Persons: it's, Tesla, Goldman Sachs, Toshiya Hari, Mark Zuckerberg, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Federal Reserve, Nvidia, Meta, Street Journal Locations: U.S, China, NVDA