As of 2016, the best performing stock over the prior three decades was a company few people have likely heard of. Per an article by WSJ journalist Jason Zweig, Balchem’s share price has risen by 107,099% since the end of 1985. The most interesting part of the article was that it expanded this universe to all U.S. stocks that have experienced returns in excess of 10,000%, and then looked for any commonality:
Over the past 30 years, 44 U.S. stocks generated cumulative total returns of 10,000% or more, according to FactSet. The 10 behind Balchem are Home Depot Inc., Amgen Inc., Nike Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc., Danaher Corp., Altair Corp., Kansas City Southern, Jack Henry & Associates Inc., Apple Inc. and Altria Group Inc. All grew by at least twice the rate of the S&P 500.
Perhaps the most notable thing they share, says David Salem, chief investment officer at Windhorse Capital Management in Boston, is that “they have all undergone at least one near-death experience.”