Putting your money into shares as a long-term investment can help build its worth and protect against inflation.
But which global companies have delivered the biggest returns? We look at which popular big-name businesses have generated the highest growth for shareholders over the past decade.
Top 10 stocks
The investment and insurance firm Shepherds Friendly has crunched the figures to work out how much an investment of £1,000 into 45 of the world’s most famous companies in 2013 would be worth in 2023.
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The table below reveals the 10 companies that had the most growth in stock value over the past decade:
| Company | Amount that £1,000 worth of stocks from 2013 is worth in 2023 | % increase in stock value from 2013 to 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Nvidia | £81,817 | 9,870% |
| Apple | £9,414 | 1,047% |
| Microsoft | £9,026 | 1,000% |
| Netflix | £8,715 | 962% |
| Amazon | £6,332 | 672% |
| Lowe's | £4,793 | 484% |
| Costco Wholesale | £4,590 | 459% |
| Visa | £4,486 | 447% |
| Lockheed Martin | £4,403 | 437% |
| Danaher | £4,297 | 424% |
Computing giant Nvidia has seen the biggest increase in stock value over the past decade, with £1,000 worth of stocks in 2013 now worth £81,817 in 2023.
Founded in 1993, and made a public company in 2000, Nvidia has grown by almost 10,000% in the past decade with one stock now being valued at £271 on average in 2023, compared to around £3 in 2013.
It has seen record sales this year amid skyrocketing demand for its high-powered graphics processing units that power artificial intelligence (AI) systems like ChatGPT.
From one tech giant to another, Apple takes second place. In 2013, £1,000 would buy you 56 stocks in the company, which would have seen your investment increase to £9,414 a decade later. For the lucky few who invested way back in Apple’s first full listing year (1981), £1,000 worth of shares would now be worth a staggering £1,635,960, according to Shepherds Friendly.
Microsoft, Netflix and Amazon complete the top five. They are followed by two retailers (Lowe’s and Costco), Visa, aerospace company Lockheed Martin and life sciences firm Danaher to produce the overall top 10.
Derence Lee, Shepherds Friendly's chief finance officer, comments: “In a world dominated by technology and online consumerism, it’s perhaps no surprise to see that the top 10 is made up of mostly tech giants and retailers who have changed the way we shop.”
There are a number of big household names that didn’t make the top 10 but still saw a large rise in stock value. For example, a £1,000 investment 10 years ago in the following brands would now be worth:
- Sports brand Nike - £3,234
- Fast food chain McDonalds: £3,102
- Coffee company Starbucks: £2,954
- Soft drink brand Pepsi: £2,457
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