Best Performing Stocks Over Last Decade, Two Have Returns More than 26,000%

These are the five best-performing stocks over the last 10 years. Two stocks have a total return of more than 26,000% over that time. While best performers of the past may not necessarily be the best performers over the next several years, studying them can still be useful, according to Cory Mitchell, an analyst with Tradequotex.com.

“Traders and investors can study top-performing stocks to determine what factors help drive the price. One of the most common themes is large earnings growth. Most top performers were able to increase earnings substantially from year to year. Another factor is expected earnings growth. Investors buy stocks based on what that stock may do in the future.

If a company is expected to grow earnings by say 50% next year, then investors are often willing to buy that stock now, helping to push the price higher. If this happens multiple years in a row, the stock may always seem expensive to some based on past earnings, but for those looking at the future, the stock seems cheap since the company is producing bigger and bigger earnings each year.”

These themes played out with top performers over the last decade, as the data shows.

5. Super Micro Computer (SMCI) +3191%

Super Micro Computer provides server and computer hardware, devices, and software.

• Over the last five years, annual earnings increased an average of 66.7% per year.
• Analysts expect earnings will grow 62.4% per year over the next five years.
• Analysts predict an earnings increase of 102% for 2024 versus 2023.
• The annualized yearly return for the stock over the last decade is 41.8%.

4. Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) +3794%

AMD makes semiconductors for a wide array of products, including computers and gaming consoles.

• AMD grew earnings by 30.8% per year over the last five years.
• Analysts forecast 33.2% yearly EPS growth over the next half decade.
• Earnings are estimated to rise by 59.3% in 2025 versus 2024.
• The 3794% was achieved via an annualized return of 44.2% over the last decade.

3. eXp World Holdings (EXPI) +6280%

EXPI is a cloud-based real estate company. It is an example of a company that doesn’t fit the “earnings growth” theme. The company has had only several profitable years over the last decade, and earnings haven’t risen in recent years.

This stock saw a lot of hype in 2020, rallying from under $5 per share to briefly more than $85. Since then the stock has fallen, currently training near $12. Yet that massive run, based on the hype of what the company could potentially achieve (but hasn’t yet), still makes it one of the best-performing stocks of the last decade.

It has a yearly annualized return of 51.5% over the last decade.

2. Celsius Holdings (CELH) +26,319%

Celsius makes energy drinks for those who are health conscious or lead an active lifestyle.

• CELH grew earnings by an incredible 107.9% per year over the last five years.
• Analysts forecast 32.5% yearly EPS growth over the next half decade.
• Earnings are estimated to rise by 41.6% in 2024 versus the prior year.
• 74.7% annualized returns show the power of compounding, producing a total return of more than 26,300% over the last decade.

1. Nvidia (NVDA) +27,389%

Nvidia makes graphics processing units that are used in PCs, gaming consoles, and increasingly in the field of AI.

• Over the last five years, NVDA’s annual earnings increased an average of 66.7% per year.
• Analysts expect earnings will grow 46.4% per year over the next five years.
• Analysts predict EPS to grow more than 100% in the current fiscal year.
• The annualized yearly return for the stock over the last decade is 75.4%.

All these stocks produced strong earnings growth, or were at least expected to, which resulted in massive stock price increases. One, EXPI, didn’t deliver on that hype and hasn’t seen consistent earnings growth. The others have, highlighting that big returns follow big earnings growth and earnings expectations.