The stock market has been on a wild ride over the past five years. The Down Jones Industrial Average is up 34% in that period and the S&P 500 index up 43%, a good example of how the market traditionally rises over time. But those numbers mask the peaks and valleys in the last half decade.
For retail shareholders, the past five years have been a harrowing trip through COVID, serious snarls in the supply chain and stubborn inflation. And yet the market continues to show strength, especially over the long term. So let’s take a closer look at the top-5 stocks that have performed best over the past five years.
But before we do, it is important to understand how we measured performance. To compile the list, we used FinanceCharts.com to screen performance for the highest returning stocks as measured by total price return including dividends for the past five years. We limited this list to companies traded in the U.S. (though FLEX LNG (Tii:FLNG), a shipping company based in Bermuda, would be 2nd on this list otherwise with a total five year return of 2,620% and Canadian drugmaker Xenon Pharmaceuticals (Tii:XENE) would fall just outside the list in 6th position with five year returns of 1,260%).
Some of the names on the list might come as a surprise since companies like Tesla (Tii:TSLA), assumed by many individual investors to be a top performer, only reaches the 28th position on the list with a five-year total return of 493%. Other companies like Lululemon Athletica (Tii:LULU), are growing quickly, but only reach the 64th position on the list with a total five-year return of 293%.
So here they are. The top performing stocks over the past five years measured by total price return including dividends:
Enphase Energy (Tii:ENPH)
Trailing 12-month Sales: $2 billion
Market Cap: $39.95 billion
5Y Return: 11,898%
Celsius Holdings (Tii:CELH)
Trailing 12-month Sales: $580 million
Market Cap: $8.14 billion
5Y Return: 1,954%
Tandem Diabetes Care (Tii:TNDM)
Trailing 12-month Sales: $790.7 million
Market Cap: $2.7 billion
5Y Return: 1,634%
Axsome Therapeutics (Tii:AXSM)
Trailing 12-month Sales: N/A
Market Cap: $3.2 billion
5Y Return: 1,319%
Lattice Semiconductor (Tii:LSCC)
Trailing 12-month Sales: $626.2 million
Market Cap: $9.09 billion
5Y Return: 1,049%
This list is no “who’s who” of stock favorites, but the returns over the past five years are worth noting. This list was created for informational purposes only and should not be used as investing advice. Retail investors should carefully research assets before investing or work with a trained financial professional. Past performance does not guarantee future returns.
There are a few stocks of more widely known companies that have strong returns over the past five years, in addition to those listed previously. Footware company Crocs (Tii:CROX) has five year returns of 693% and comes in at 14th on the list. Online retailer ETSY (Tii:ETSY) comes in at 26th with five-year returns of 510% and GameStop (Tii:GME), one of the so-called meme stocks has returns of 404% during that period. Other popular brands such as Chipotle Mexican Grill (Tii:CMG), Eli Lilly and Co (Tii:LLY) and DICK’S Sporting Goods (Tii:DKS) made the top 50 in five year returns.
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