Companies that consistently increase their sales, margins, or returns on capital are usually rewarded with the best returns, and those that can do all three for years on end are almost always the legendary stocks that return 100 times your money.
The bottom line is that over the long term, earnings growth goes hand in hand with the biggest winners. Keeping that in mind, here are three market-beating stocks that deserve a spot on your list.
Astronics (ATRO)
Five-Year Return: +484%
Integrating power outlets into many Boeing aircraft, Astronics (NASDAQ:ATRO) is a provider of technologies and services to the global aerospace, defense, and electronics industries.
Why Do We Love ATRO?
- Annual revenue growth of 16.5% over the past five years was outstanding, reflecting market share gains this cycle
- Free cash flow margin expanded by 10.3 percentage points over the last five years, providing additional flexibility for investments and share buybacks/dividends
- Improving returns on capital suggest its past investments are beginning to deliver value
Astronics’s stock price of $78.31 implies a valuation ratio of 26x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our full research report, it’s free.
Amgen (AMGN)
Five-Year Return: +95.9%
Founded in 1980 during the early days of the biotechnology revolution, Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) is a biotechnology company that discovers, develops, and manufactures innovative medicines to treat serious illnesses like cancer, osteoporosis, and autoimmune diseases.
Why Are We Fans of AMGN?
- Economies of scale give it more fixed cost leverage than its smaller competitors
- Impressive free cash flow profitability enables the company to fund new investments or reward investors with share buybacks/dividends
- ROIC punches in at 17.3%, illustrating management’s expertise in identifying profitable investments
At $439.53 per share, Amgen trades at 18.5x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Ares (ARES)
Five-Year Return: +94.9%
With roots in the leveraged finance group of Apollo Management, Ares Management (NYSE:ARES) is an alternative investment firm that manages private equity, credit, real estate, and infrastructure assets for institutional and high-net-worth clients.
Why Is ARES a Top Pick?
- Market share has increased this cycle as its 24.3% annual revenue growth over the last two years was exceptional
- Earnings per share have comfortably outperformed the peer group average over the last five years, increasing by 19.5% annually
Ares is trading at $142.46 per share, or 21.8x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
ONE MORE THING: Top 5 Growth Stocks. The biggest stock winners almost always had one thing in common before they ran. Revenue growing like crazy. Meta. CrowdStrike. Broadcom. Our AI flagged all three. They returned 315%, 314%, and 455%, respectively.
Find out which 5 stocks it’s flagging this month — FREE. Get Our Top 5 Growth Stocks for Free HERE.
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,460% between June 2020 and June 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+1,154% between June 2020 and June 2025). Find your next big winner with StockStory today.