While chasing short-term stock trends can be thrilling, most U.S. investors are not short-term traders or market speculators. Instead, they favor assets with long-term growth potential to enhance their quality of life in retirement. Although past performance does not guarantee future results, the top-performing U.S. stocks over the long term still provide valuable insights for investors.
The following are the six best-performing U.S. stocks based on total returns over the past 30 years (June 1995 to May 2025), with values in U.S. dollars:
(Note: Companies marked with ** have been publicly listed for less than 30 years. Returns are calculated since their respective IPO dates.)
Monster Beverage (MNST), which went public in August 1995, is arguably one of the most successful yet low-profile investment success stories. Over three decades, it delivered a total return of 444,868%, making it the best-performing stock in the S&P 500. In 2015, the company entered a strategic partnership with Coca-Cola, which acquired a 16.7% stake in Monster and became its primary global distributor. The stock has achieved an average annual return of 32.6%.
Nvidia (NVDA), a semiconductor giant producing high-end chips for PCs, smartphones, AI applications, and more, went public in January 1999. It has generated a total return of 372,227% since then, with the highest average annual return—36.6%—among S&P 500 constituents over the past 30 years. Trends like artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and autonomous vehicles are expected to continue driving its future growth.
Amazon (AMZN) transformed from an online bookstore into a $2.4 trillion e-commerce and cloud services powerhouse after its IPO in May 1997. It has delivered a total return of 273,347% by consistently capturing market share from traditional brick-and-mortar retailers.
Axon Enterprise (AXON), providing hardware and technology solutions such as body cameras and military drone technology to law enforcement and military agencies, went public under the name Taser International (ticker: TASR) in June 2001. Over the past 24 years, it has produced a total return of 140,693%, with an average annual return of 35.3%.
Netflix (NFLX), despite significant volatility over the past five years, has achieved a total return of 112,151% since its IPO in May 2002. It evolved from a DVD-by-mail service into a global streaming giant with over 300 million subscribers, maintaining an average annual return of approximately 35.6%.
Texas Pacific Land (TPL), one of the largest private landowners in Texas, holds assets exclusively located in the oil-rich Permian Basin. Its origins trace back to the 1888 bankruptcy of the Texas and Pacific Railway (T&P). The company currently generates revenue from oil and gas extraction, renewable energy projects, and land leasing. It has provided a total return of 106,030% over the past 30 years.
