Just about every investor will face a moment in their career where they say, “I wish I would’ve invested in that company or asset 10 years ago.” It’s a cold, hard reality of investing over time. We’ll all have plenty of “missed opportunities,” whether it’s a stock you didn’t buy, a strategy you didn’t invest in, a real estate deal that fell through, or in the current era, a cryptocurrency wager you didn’t make.
There’s not a whole lot of benefit in dwelling on a missed opportunity, but I’m going to anyway in this post. It’s not in an effort to rub salt in anyone’s wound. The goal is to remind investors of the benefits – and compounding power – of smart, long-term investment choices. Specifically, investing in companies that have solid management, robust earnings growth, and widely embraced brands. Those are the types of companies with the potential to deliver attractive returns – for investors who stick with them.
I’ve picked 5 companies at random, and I took a look at how much a $10,000 investment would have grown over the last five years. To note, I assumed the investor took any dividends as cash, my napkin math below represents price returns versus total returns. Also, returns are as of May 25, 2018.
Facebook (ticker: FB) – $10,000 invested on January 1, 2013 would be worth $76,067.
Netflix (ticker: NFLX) – $10,000 invested on January 1, 2013 would be worth $107,503.
Apple (ticker: AAPL) – $10,000 invested on January 1, 2013 would be worth $29,654.
Visa (ticker: V) – $10,000 invested on January 1, 2013 would be worth $29,101.
Costco (ticker: COST) – $10,000 invested on January 1, 2013 would be worth $17,341.
As you can see, not every longer-term play was as gangbusters as Netflix, Facebook or even Amazon. But that’s not the point. The point is that finding quality companies and making a smart, committed trade can pay off – and there are plenty of ways to do it.
That being said, I wouldn’t advocate for picking one company and investing everything in it, quite the opposite in fact. I like the strategy of building a diversified portfolio with 90% of my liquid net worth and then investing the other 10% in a bet of some kind, whether in an individual security or perhaps even cryptocurrency if that’s your thing.
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Moving higher for three straight days is viewed as a bullish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future growth. Considering data from situations where COST advanced for three days, in of 383 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Stochastic Oscillator suggests the stock price trend may be in a reversal from a downward trend to an upward trend. of 47 cases where COST's Stochastic Oscillator exited the oversold zone resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on July 01, 2025. You may want to consider a long position or call options on COST as a result. In of 75 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator entered an Uptrend today. In of 423 cases where COST Aroon's Indicator entered an Uptrend, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued Uptrend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for COST turned negative on June 05, 2025. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 40 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 40 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
COST moved below its 50-day moving average on June 24, 2025 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for COST crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on June 18, 2025. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In of 16 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where COST declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
COST broke above its upper Bollinger Band on June 02, 2025. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 56, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. COST’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is significantly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (16.129) is normal, around the industry mean (8.512). P/E Ratio (55.985) is within average values for comparable stocks, (33.609). COST's Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (5.240) is slightly higher than the industry average of (2.934). Dividend Yield (0.005) settles around the average of (0.023) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (1.634) is also within normal values, averaging (1.588).
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
a company which sells goods through membership warehouses
Industry DiscountStores