Stocks for after Memorial Day? Think Nasdaq.

By Gina Francolla and Giovanny Moreano, CNBC Analytics

Over the past five years, the average return of the NASDAQ 100 and NASDAQ Composite during the summer months outperformed the Dow and S&P 500.
Indeed, the average return from Memorial Day to Labor Day for the NASDAQ 100 and NASDAQ Composite stands at 4.2 and 3.18 percent, respectively. That compares to a gain of 2 percent for the Dow and 1.8 percent for the S&P 500.

Within the NASDAQ 100, health care and consumer discretionary companies dominate the summer stock sizzlers, while tech and consumer discretionary stocks have been the worst performers.

The table above includes companies in the NASDAQ 100 with the best average returns over the past five summers (click the first image to enlarge). All of the top ten stocks are up year-to-date, led by Wynn Resorts with a gain of 40 percent.

Only eleven companies in the NASDAQ 100 have an average negative return from Memorial Day to Labor Day (click the second image to enlarge).