If every crisis is an opportunity, then the global financial crisis was an opportunity of global proportions.
In the eight years since its March 9, 2009, bottom, the S&P 500 has expanded in value by more than 420 percent -- but a small subset of 11 stocks has returned more than 2,000 percent.
Buying $10,000 worth of the entire S&P 500 index in 2009 would lead to over $42,000, but holding $10,000 of one of the 10 highest returning stocks since the nadir of the financial crisis would have led to an investment valued at more than $200,000 today.
For this analysis, we have compared each stock’s closing price on March 9, 2009, with its closing price on Monday, March 27, 2017.
No. 11 – Expedia (EXPE)
Expedia, a travel booking website, saw its shares rise from a price of $6.01 to $127.80, an increase of 2,027 percent since the March 2009 bottom.
No. 10 – Qorvo (QRVO)
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Shares of Qorvo, a semiconductor business, have increased in value from $3.20 to $68.37 since the crisis bottom, an increase of 2,036 percent.
No. 9 – CBS Corporation Class B (CBS)
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CBS shares have grown from a price of $3.09 on March 9, 2009, to $67.49 as of March 27, a 2,084 percent change.
No. 8 – Priceline Group (PCLN)
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Priceline, a travel booking provider whose stock closed on March 27, 2017, at a price of $1,772, an increase of 2,161 percent from $78.36 a share at the crisis bottom.
No. 7 – Netflix (NFLX)
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Netflix shares traded for just $5.50 at the crisis bottom, but are now worth $144.06 – a 2,519 percent increase.
No. 6 – Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (WYN)
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Hospitality holding company WYN has had its share price grow from $3.10 to $83.98 since March 9, 2009, a 2,609 percent change.
No. 5 – Alaska Air Group (ALK)
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Since the crisis bottom, Alaska Air Group shares have increased from $3.49 to $95, a 2,626 percent increase.
No. 4 – Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN)
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Biotech firm REGN shares were worth $12.40 at the crisis bottom, but have grown to a value of $383.68 since -- a 2,994 percent increase.
No. 3 – United Rentals (URI)
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Shares of United Rentals have increased in value from $3.03 to $119.56 since March 9, 2009, a 3,846 percent change.
No. 2 – Ulta Beauty (ULTA)
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ULTA has seen its share price rise from $4.29 to $280.14 since the crisis bottom, a 6,430 percent increase.
No. 1 – GGP (GGP)
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GGP shares have increased in value from $0.29 to $22.72 since the global financial crisis, a 7,654 percent change. That means that a $10,000 investment in the shopping mall REIT on March 9, 2009, would have grown to a $765,400 investment today.
