Top Performing Stocks Over the Last 35+Years
Top Performing Stocks Over the Last 35+Years
How to Find the Right Dividend Growth Stock
The stock market is vast and the possibilities are endless. For example, just consider the many ups and downs over the last 35+ years. There have been huge success stories both individually and for the stock market as whole. On the flip side, there have been huge crashes for the entire market, as well as for many individual stocks. One thing is for sure with the stock market; there are no guarantees. Of course, there are some big names that have been doing well for years, along with some other names that might not receive the same notoriety as some of the bigger named companies, but their success is just as real.
Publicly Traded Since 1980
M&T Bank Corporation released a very interesting table recently, whichdetails the best performing stocks since 1980. To clarify, this table does not include any stocks that have gone public since 1980; so many of the best performing stocks in the last 37 years do not appear on the list. It does however take into account all 567 U.S.-based stocks that have been publicly traded since that year. While some of the names on the list will not surprise anyone, there are some others that could make you look twice.
Who Leads the Way?
So without further adieu, let’s take a look at who made the list.
| Rank | Company Name | Industry | Annual Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eaton Vance Corp. | Financials | 23.3 |
| 2 | TJX Companies Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 23 |
| 3 | Hasbro, Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 22.2 |
| 4 | Stryker Corporation | Healthcare | 22 |
| 5 | L Brands, Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 20.8 |
| 6 | Progressive Corporation | Financials | 20.8 |
| 7 | Valspar Corporation | Materials | 20.7 |
| 8 | Mylan N.V. | Healthcare | 20.0 |
| 9 | Gap, Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 19.9 |
| 10 | Danaher Corporation | Healthcare | 19.8 |
| 11 | vWal-Mart Stores, Inc. | Consumer Staples | 19.7 |
| 12 | State Street Corporation | Financials | 19.6 |
| 13 | Sherwin-Williams Company | Materials | 19.6 |
| 14 | Equifax Inc. | Industrials | 19.6 |
| 15 | Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A | Financials | 19.6 |
| 16 | M&T Bank Corporation | Financials | 18.9 |
| 17 | Robert Half International Inc. | Industrials | 18.9 |
| 18 | Constellation Brands, Inc. Class B | Consumer Staples | 18.7 |
| 19 | Graco Inc. | Industrials | 18.7 |
| 20 | Lowe’s Companies, Inc. | Consumer Discretionary | 18.7 |
| 21 | Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. | Consumer Staples | 18.6 |
| 22 | Aflac Incorporated | Financials | 18.6 |
| 23 | Flowers Foods, Inc. | Consumer Staples | 18.5 |
| 24 | Astronics Corporation | Industrials | 18.4 |
| 25 | Church & Dwight Co., Inc. | Consumer Staples | 18.3 |
| 26 | V.F. Corporation | Consumer Discretionary | 18.0 |
| 27 | RLI Corp. | Financials | 17.9 |
| 28 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Information Technology | 17.9 |
| 29 | Raven Industries, Inc. | Industrials | 17.9 |
| 30 | HollyFrontier Corporation | Energy | 17.8 |
Interesting Facts
You can make several observations from this list, and each person might find different points of interest. Here are just a couple. Berkshire Hathaway, which is led by one of the world’s richest men, Warren Buffett, had to settle for number 15 on the list, and it trailed three other stocks in the financial sector. Meantime, financial stocks dominate the list, with seven different entries. Industrials and consumer stocks are also very common on the list, while only two materials companies made the top 30
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