The best performing stocks over five years ‒ and what they could have made you

Picking the right stocks can really pay dividends, and if you happened to have picked some of the top performing ones five years ago, then you may well have found yourself in profit by as much as 4,501%.

Although investing consistently over the long term and making the most of your stocks and shares ISA is important, investors who made informed decisions on their stocks may find they have done well on some of their picks five years ago.

We reveal the top performing stocks over the last five years and just how much return you will have seen if you took a stake of at least £1,000.

Try 6 free issues of MoneyWeek today

Get unparalleled financial insight, analysis and expert opinion you can profit from.

Start your trial

Sign up for MoneyWeek’s free twice-daily newsletter.

Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Join more than 165,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with latest financial news, insights and expert analysis to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Sign up

The stocks that have grown the most since 2018

These stocks, which may not come as a surprise to some investors, have had the strongest growth since 201, according to investment platform Saxo.

While second-placed Tesla is something of a household name, others may not be one that investors are commonly aware of - a useful reminder that sometimes the biggest returns can come from spotting businesses before they truly break out, something often overlooked by cautious investors.

How much cash would you have made with top stocks?

If you had put £1,000 in Enphase Energy stocks five years ago, you would now have £45,010 in your portfolio.

A £1,000 investment in Tesla would have made £10,690 since 2018.

ChemoMetec would have made you £10,390, Advanced Micro Device would have bagged you £8,750, and Sean would have earned you £6,680.

Past performance is no guarantee of future success

With all forms of investing it is important to bear in mind that past successes are no guarantee of further gains to come.

Just because certain stocks have had a fantastic few years, and delivered significant returns, that does not mean they will continue to deliver at the same rate ‒ or even at all ‒ for investors in the years ahead.

In fact, chasing stocks based on their previous gains can be an expensive mistake, should circumstances change and the business hits issues.

However, you can take lessons from individual stocks that have performed well, and apply those lessons when determining which stocks to invest in future. For example, there is a ‘green’ energy theme to the top two performing stocks according to the research, with Enphase Energy a manufacturer of renewable energy technology, and Tesla a manufacturer of electric cars.

With the UK’s push towards reaching net zero, it may be that certain businesses involved in this sector enjoy further success in the years ahead.

Making the most of your ISA allowance

If you really want to make the most of the returns from your investments, whether they are strong performers like Enphase Energy or not, then it is important to utilise your ISA allowance.

Everyone enjoys a £20,000 annual ISA allowance, which can be split across different types of ISA. The allowance runs from the start of the tax year, and can not be carried over.