These are the 20 best-performing stocks of the past decade, and some of them will surprise you

As we approach the end of 2019, it’s time not only for year-end lists, but end-of-decade lists.

U.S. stocks have had what can only be called an excellent decade. MarketWatch will feature a number of forward-looking articles building on the past decade’s action. Today we’re taking a look back.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average












DJIA, +0.08%










 returned 165% (with dividends reinvested) and the S&P 500 Index












SPX, +0.00%










returned 244% from the end of 2009 through Dec. 5, 2019. We’re not quite at the end of 2019, but if we were, and those figures held, the compounded annual growth rate for the Dow would be 10.2%. For the S&P 500, it would be 13.2%.

That average return for the S&P 500 measures up well when compared with the 10% average for the almost 100-year period of June 30, 1927, through Sept. 30, 2019, the longest period available using custom research.

For the past decade, we reviewed the entire S&P 500, as it is currently constituted, to see which stocks performed best. Among the 500 companies, 46 have traded in their present form for less than 10 years, so they are excluded.

Here’s a list of companies whose stocks performed the best,with reinvested dividends, from the end of 2009 through Dec. 5:

You can click on the tickers for more about each company.

The right-most column shows the number of times each stock was among the top 10 performers over the past 10 individual years (including 2019 through Dec. 5).

Netflix












NFLX, -1.06%










 is far ahead of the pack, with a spectacular 3,767% return. That translates to a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 44.1%. Amazon.com












AMZN, +0.06%










 ranks 10th, and its 1,209% return translates to a CAGR of 29.3%. Apple












AAPL, -0.04%










 ranks 28th, with a total return of 899% and a CAGR of 25.9%.

It’s interesting that some of the best performers for 10 years weren’t among the top 10 during any individual year. TransDigm












TDG, -0.23%,










for example, ranks fourth, with a 2,067% return (CAGR of 36%). The company has a very important advantage in the aerospace industry — a high barrier for entry in the market for specialized replacement parts for aircraft. In April, Will Muggia of Westfield Capital Management called TransDigm “the best managed company in America.”

Sectors

Here’s how the 11 sectors of the S&P 500 have performed from the end of 2009 through Dec. 5, 2019, with dividends reinvested, according to FactSet:

2019 winners — so far

Here are the 20 best-performing S&P 500 stocks for 2019 through Dec. 5:

Once again, the right-most column shows how many times each stock was among the top 10 performers over the past 10 individual years (including 2019) through Dec. 5.

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