Most investors aren’t short-term traders and market speculators. They are instead trying to buy stocks they can buy and hold in their retirement accounts and cultivate a nest egg that will grow over decades.
To help with long-term perspective, Creative Planning Chief Market Strategist Charlie Bilello recently compiled a list of the 10 best-performing stocks in the S&P 500 over the past 30 years.
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Investors looking to pick the best stocks to buy and hold over the next 30 years can look to these stocks for insights into which traits help a company generate long-lasting, market-beating returns. Returns shown are from December 1995 through the end of November 2025, unless otherwise indicated:
| Stock | 30-year total return |
| Monster Beverage Corp. (ticker: MNST) | 817,940% |
| Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)* | 487,524% |
| Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN)* | 310,861% |
| Axon Enterprise Inc. (AXON)* | 101,176% |
| Netflix Inc. (NFLX)* | 99,841% |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | 97,439% |
| NVR Inc. (NVR) | 76,898% |
| Texas Pacific Land Corp. (TPL) | 76,038% |
| Iron Mountain Inc. (IRM)* | 62,338% |
| Amphenol Corp. (APH) | 45,959% |
*Because company IPO was less than 30 years ago, returns are for less than a 30-year period.
Monster Beverage Corp. (MNST)
Monster Beverage has been arguably the single best under-the-radar home run investment since its August 1995 initial public offering. In 30 years, Monster has generated a total return of 817,940%, making it the best-performing S&P 500 stock over that period by a landslide. In 2015, Monster struck a deal with Coca-Cola Co. (KO) in which Coca-Cola took a 19% ownership stake in Monster in return for Coca-Cola becoming Monster’s primary global distributor. Since its IPO, Monster shares have generated an average annual return of 35%. A $10,000 stake in MNST stock in 1995 would now be worth more than $81.8 million.
Nvidia Corp. (NVDA)
Nvidia is a semiconductor company that produces high-end chips for personal computers, smartphones, artificial intelligence applications and other uses. Nvidia went public back in January 1999. Nvidia shares have gained 487,524% overall since its IPO, and Nvidia’s 37.2% average annual return since 1999 is the best of any S&P 500 stock on this list. AI, cloud computing, autonomous vehicles and other high-end technology trends will likely continue to drive revenue growth for Nvidia in the next 30 years as well. A $10,000 investment in NVDA stock back in 1999 would now be worth $48.7 million.
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN)
Nobody should be surprised to see Amazon on this list. The e-commerce and cloud services leader went public in May 1997, and its stock has since gone on a historic run. Over the years, Amazon has pivoted from a niche online bookstore to a multitrillion-dollar online marketplace and cloud services juggernaut. In roughly 29 years since its initial public offering, Amazon has generated a total return of 310,861% as it has steadily siphoned off business from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. In fact, $10,000 invested in AMZN stock in 1997 would now be worth $31 million.
Axon Enterprise Inc. (AXON)
Axon Enterprise is a law enforcement and military hardware and technology solutions provider. In addition to supplying body-worn cameras and other hardware, Axon also provides military drone technology and cloud-based software services, such as digital evidence management. Axon went public back in June 2001 under the name Taser International and the ticker TASR before eventually rebranding to Axon. The stock has generated a total return of 101,176% for investors over the past 24-plus years. That gain represents an annualized return of 32.6%. A $10,000 investment in Axon back in 2001 would now be worth $10.1 million.
Netflix Inc. (NFLX)
It’s been a bumpy ride for streaming video giant Netflix in the past five years, but there’s no question Netflix has been one of the best growth stocks in the market since its May 2002 IPO. When Netflix went public, it was sending DVDs to its customers via mail. Today, Netflix has more than 325 million subscribers and is one of the world’s largest media companies. Since 2002, Netflix has generated a total return of 99,841%, or about 34.1% annually. A $10,000 investment in NFLX stock just 24 years ago would now be worth about $10 million.
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Apple Inc. (AAPL)
Apple is certainly no surprise on the list of top-performing stocks. Apple went public in December 1980 and has been one of the most innovative technology companies of all time. Its transition from hardware sales to services revenue in the past decade demonstrates its adaptivity. In the past 30 years, Apple has generated a total return of 97,439%, or about 25.8% annually. Unfortunately, Apple’s total return of 11% in the past 12 months has lagged the S&P 500’s return. Nevertheless, a $10,000 investment in AAPL stock back in 1995 would now be worth $9.7 million.
NVR Inc. (NVR)
NVR is one of the largest U.S. homebuilders, constructing and selling condominiums, townhouses, and single-family and luxury homes under three brands: Ryan Homes, NVHomes and Heartland Homes. NVR went public back in November 1993 and has generated a 76,898% return over the past 30 years. Since 1995, NVR has generated an average annual return of 24.8%. NVR’s growth has continued as of late, and the stock has even outpaced the S&P 500’s return in the past 10 years. At this point, $10,000 invested in NVR stock 30 years ago would be worth $7.6 million.
Texas Pacific Land Corp. (TPL)
Texas Pacific Land is one of the largest private landowners in Texas, and its asset portfolio is 100% exposed to the oil-rich Permian Basin. Texas Pacific’s roots date back to the bankruptcy of railroad company T&P in 1888. At the time, T&P’s 3.5 million acres were placed into a trust to benefit T&P bondholders. Today, Texas Pacific generates revenue from oil and gas activities, renewable energy, and grazing and hunting leases. The stock’s 30-year total return is 76,038%, and a $10,000 investment in TPL stock in 1995 would now be worth $7.6 million.
Iron Mountain Inc. (IRM)
Iron Mountain is a specialized real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on document storage and information management services. The company operates more than 1,400 storage facilities in more than 50 countries around the world. Part of Iron Mountain’s recent outperformance is the company’s early and successful pivot from a physical storage provider into a high-growth digital infrastructure and data center provider. Another part of Iron Mountain’s success is the REIT’s sizable 3.3% dividend yield, which has helped compound returns. In fact, a $10,000 investment in IRM stock following its 1996 IPO would now be worth $6.2 million.
Amphenol Corp. (APH)
Amphenol produces connectors, interconnect systems, and coaxial and high-speed specialty electrical cables. Amphenol went public in November 1991 and has generated a cumulative return of 45,959% for investors in the past 30 years. The stock is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, it has generated a 920.5% total return in the past decade, more than tripling the return of the S&P 500. The rally has been fueled by booming AI infrastructure demand and consistently expanding profit margins. A $10,000 investment in APH stock in 1995 would now be worth about $4.6 million.
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10 Best-Performing Stocks of the Past 30 Years originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 03/09/26: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.