The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (2024)

We analyzed the entire Russell 1000 to find the best-performing stocks across lookback periods of YTD, 1Y, 3Y, 5Y, 10Y, and 25Y. 999 Russell 1000 stocks have market capitalizations of $1 billion or more.

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  • Best-Performing Stocks YTD
  • Best-Performing Stocks in the Last Year
  • Best-Performing Stocks in the Last 3 Years
  • Best-Performing Stocks in the Last 5 Years
  • Best-Performing Stocks in the Last 10 Years
  • Best-Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years
  • What Was the Growth of $10,000 Over the Last 25 Years?
  • How Would Making Regular Contributions Affect Overall Returns?

YCharts CEO Sean Brown recently sat down with Cathie Wood, founder and CEO of Ark Invest, for a disruptive innovation webinar where they assessed key trends shaping the market–including some of the stocks on the list below. Watch the webinar below:

Best Performing Stocks YTD

These are the top-performing stocks year-to-date in 2024, as of April 2, 2024.

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The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (1)

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Best Performing Stocks in the Last Year

These are the top-performing stocks between April 2, 2023 and April 2, 2024.

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The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (2)

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Best Performing Stocks in the Last 3 Years

These are the top-performing stocks between April 2, 2021 and April 2, 2024.

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The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (3)

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Best Performing Stocks in the Last 5 Years

These are the top-performing stocks between April 2, 2019 and April 2, 2024.

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The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (4)

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Best Performing Stocks in the Last 10 Years

These are the top-performing stocks between April 2, 2014 and April 2, 2024.

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The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (5)

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Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years

These are the top-performing stocks between April 2, 1999 and April 2, 2024.

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The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (6)

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What Was the Growth of $10,000 Over the Last 25 Years?

If you invested $10,000 25 years ago into any of the ten best-performing stocks over the last 25 years, your balance today would be over one million dollars.

The best-performing stock in the last 25 years was Monster Beverage (MNST). A $10,000 investment into Monster Beverage 25 years ago would be worth $13.86 million today. Right behind it was Deckers Outdoor Corp (DECK); $10,000 invested into Deckers Outdoor Corp back in 1998 would’ve turned into $11.72 million.

The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (7)

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How Would Making Regular Contributions Affect Overall Returns?

Using Apple (AAPL)–the world’s second-most valuable company and fourth-best performer over the last 25 years–as an example, contributing $100 each month since April 1999 would’ve equaled a net total contribution of $30,000, with a total return of $3.9 million and some change.

If the monthly contribution was $250 each month ($75,000 total), the net balance after those 25 years would be near $10 million today.

The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (8)

Download Visual | Create Your Own Scenarios

Though total returns achieved via monthly contributions over the 25 year time horizon wouldn’t have been as large as an upfront lump-sum investment, tools like Scenarios illustrate the importance of “staying the course” as an equity investment strategy to clients.

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The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years (2024)

FAQs

The 10 Best Performing Stocks in the Last 25 Years? ›

The Nasdaq Composite had the strongest 20-year performance after rising 687%, or 10.9% annually. The Fidelity Nasdaq Composite ETF is one way to invest in the index.

What is the best performing stock market last 20 years? ›

The Nasdaq Composite had the strongest 20-year performance after rising 687%, or 10.9% annually. The Fidelity Nasdaq Composite ETF is one way to invest in the index.

What is the best performing stock of the last 30 years? ›

The best-performing stock of the past three decades is not one of the tech titans you'd assume. It's actually an energy drink company: Monster Beverage . Monster's stock has climbed for decades, along with sales, which have grown consistently for 31 years straight.

What are the most successful stocks of the last 10 years? ›

Best-performing stocks over the past 10 years
  1. Nvidia (NVDA) ...
  2. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) ...
  3. Super Micro Computer (SMCI) ...
  4. Green Brick Partners (GRBK) ...
  5. Broadcom (AVGO) ...
  6. Fair Isaac Corp. ...
  7. Monolithic Power Systems (MPWR) ...
  8. Builders FirstSource (BLDR)
Feb 28, 2024

What is the best performing stock of all time? ›

The Best Performing Stocks in History
  • Coca-Cola. (NASDAQ: KO) ...
  • Altria. (NASDAQ: MO) ...
  • Amazon.com. (NASDAQ: AMZN) ...
  • Celgene. (NASDAQ: CELG) ...
  • Apple. (NASDAQ: AAPL) ...
  • Alphabet. (NASDAQ:GOOG) ...
  • Gilead Sciences. (NASDAQ: GILD) ...
  • Microsoft. (NASDAQ: MSFT)

What stock grew the most in the last 20 years? ›

Best performing stocks in the S&P 500 over the last 20 years
Total 20-year returnAnnualized return
Monster BeverageMNST82,942%39%
AppleAAPL51,052%37%
NvidiaNVDA32,830%33%
Intuitive SurgicalISRG16,569%29%
7 more rows
Nov 8, 2023

What if I invested $1000 in S&P 500 10 years ago? ›

Over the past decade, you would have done even better, as the S&P 500 posted an average annual return of a whopping 12.68%. Here's how much your account balance would be now if you were invested over the past 10 years: $1,000 would grow to $3,300. $5,000 would grow to $16,498.

What stock has gone up the most in the last 25 years? ›

If you invested $10,000 25 years ago into any of the ten best-performing stocks over the last 25 years, your balance today would be over one million dollars. The best-performing stock in the last 25 years was Monster Beverage (MNST).

What is the best performing stock in the last 40 years? ›

ASSETDATE% RETURN
Apple (AAPL)5/21/1984 - 5/21/2024186,280.49%
Applied Materials (AMAT)5/21/1984 - 5/21/2024168,057.49%
Progressive (PGR)5/21/1984 - 5/21/2024154,709.27%
Amazon (AMZN)5/21/1984 - 5/21/2024150,466.04%
21 more rows

What is the fastest rising stock in history? ›

Which Stock's Price Rose the Most in One Day in History? Only one day after Meta Platforms experienced the largest single-day stock market loss in history, Amazon (AMZN) clawed back 14% and posted the single largest one-day gain in U.S. stock market history. The company's market capitalization grew by $191 billion.

What is the best performing stock of the last 50 years? ›

Berkshire Hathaway

Berkshire Hathaway (BRK. B, $195.20), of which he is chairman and CEO, tops the list of the best S&P 500 stocks of the past 50 years, and it is the only one that does not pay a dividend.

Which stocks will double in 10 years? ›

9 Best Growth Stocks for the Next 10 Years
  • AbbVie Inc. (ticker: ABBV)
  • Adobe Inc. (ADBE)
  • Apple Inc. (AAPL)
  • Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG)
  • Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST)
  • DraftKings Inc. (DKNG)
  • Enphase Energy Inc. (ENPH)
  • Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)
May 17, 2024

What is the magnificent 7 stocks? ›

Dubbed the Magnificent Seven stocks, Apple, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Meta Platforms and Tesla lived up to their name in 2023 with big gains. But the middle part of the second quarter of 2024 showed a big divergence of returns.

What stock does Warren Buffett recommend? ›

As of the end of the fourth quarter of 2023, 66 hedge funds out of the 933 funds tracked by Insider Monkey had stakes in Occidental Petroleum Corp (NYSE:OXY). In addition to Occidental, Buffett also likes Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) and Chevron Corp (NYSE:CVX).

What's the best stock to buy and hold forever? ›

Here are two that I think are worth sticking with over the long haul: Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN).

What stock has gone up the most since 1980? ›

5 Stocks That Have Gained More Than 100,000% Since 1980
  1. 5 Stocks That Have Gained More Than 100,000% Since 1980.
  2. Amazon -- 127,000% gains. ...
  3. Microsoft -- 111,000% gains. ...
  4. Berkshire Hathaway -- 119,000% gains. ...
  5. Eaton Vance Corp. ...
  6. Hasbro, Inc.
Aug 17, 2018

What stock has performed the best since 2000? ›

Here are the top 10 best performing S&P 500 stocks since the turn of 2000.
  • Apple Inc.
  • Tractor Supply Company (TSCO) ...
  • Amazon (AMZN) Stock. ...
  • Intuitive Surgical Inc. ...
  • Ansys Inc. ...
  • IDEXX Laboratories Inc. ...
  • HollyFrontier Corporation (HFC) ...
  • Activision Blizzard Inc. (ATVI) Stock. ...
Sep 23, 2020

What is the average stock market return over 30 years? ›

Average Market Return for the Last 30 Years

Looking at the S&P 500 for the years 1993 to mid-2023, the average stock market return for the last 30 years is 9.90% (7.22% when adjusted for inflation).

What is the safest investment with the highest return? ›

These seven low-risk but potentially high-return investment options can get the job done:
  • Money market funds.
  • Dividend stocks.
  • Bank certificates of deposit.
  • Annuities.
  • Bond funds.
  • High-yield savings accounts.
  • 60/40 mix of stocks and bonds.
May 13, 2024

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