Highest flying stocks of all time?

DaveinJapan said: "Just for fun, I wonder if anyone can point out some company that experienced an incredible increase in value...such that a $1,000 investment (for example) would become millions (or at least...lots of money). I'm just wondering cause you always hear the folks that say "Gee, if I only invested in Microsoft back in the early 90's...I'd be so rich now!". So, success stories? Or any interesting comments?"

marbles said: "There was an article in Smart Money magazine about 6 years ago about the highest flyers. I think Applied Materials was at the top of the list. A couple of years ago I was throwing out old brokerage statements from about 1983 or 1984. A broker from Merrill Lynch was helping me choose stocks at the time. Anyway, the two largest stocks in my portfolio were Medtronic and Eli Lilly. After I calculated the stock splits I realized they would be worth about 1.6 million combined had I still owned them. :rolleyes: Live and learn."

BenHouston said: "Peter lynch lists dozens of stocks like that in his book. I think one where if you invested 10,000 you'd have millions."

Grifter said: "A good friend of my fathers invested into yahoo when it was barely starting up when it was merely a dollar or so and ended up making hundreds thousands in a couple years. His piece of advice for my father was "find something you are confident that will be innovative for the future before anyone hears about it, and hold onto it for as long as you can.""

Slidingby said: "About a year ago I was looking at a stock that had a 30,000% gain over the span of 30 years or so? Can't recall the name / symbol ??"

JohnL said: "Not counting any dividend reinvestment in no particular order: Cisco Systems (CSCO), Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), Dell (DELL), Microsoft (MSFT), Applied Materials (AMAT) are a few ones with real monster returns at their peak. Cisco hit a 100,000% return. Money times 1,000. So if you invested $1,000 you would've came out with $100,000."

thezster said: "Mebbe you should have titled this thread "Woulda/Coulda/Shoulda".. :confused:"

Ludemaster said: "you mean a million right?"

thezster said: "LM - your math is correct."

JohnL said: "Yep. My mistake."

Rickster said: "[url]http://www.tk421.net/gallery/pictures/microsoft.jpg[/url]"

Slidingby said: "Link has an attitude problem. :mad:"

Slidingby said: "[url]http://www.tk421.net/gallery/pictures/[/url] Go in there third row up in middle. hehe, good stuff! - Suppose I shouldn't ask how the hell you found that website. :\ .. hehe.:p"

Rickster said: "I received that picture in an email several years ago, but couldnt find my copy. So I Googled ...Microsoft founders photo... and it led me there. That photo always cracks me up. Who in their right mind would have invested in those guys?"

Slidingby said: "Two thoughts...1. Jerry Garcia?.. 2. Traveling Wilburys? .. if neither of them then I definitely agree with you. :D"

PMonty06 said: "Two words: Berkshire Hathaway. Which is well over 100,000 this morning!"