Some examples of stocks that have significantly outperformed the S&P 500 over the past two decades (2005-2024 or similar 20-year periods) include:
NVIDIA, with an average annual return of 39.2%.
Netflix, with an average annual return of 36.5%.
Apple, with an average annual return of 32.0%.
Monster Beverage, with a total 20-year return of 15,439%.
Intuitive Surgical, with a total 20-year return of 13,889%.
Survival Rate: Historically, only about 20-25% of companies in the S&P 500 remain in the index after 20 years.
Finding these top-performing stocks is challenging, as the vast majority of individual securities do not outperform the broader market index over the long run.
Final Takeaway
Over the 2005–2025 span, the S&P 500 returned about 10% annually (total ~640%).
In contrast, real individual investors typically achieved 6–9% annualized returns, underperforming by 1–6 percentage points per year depending on timeframe.