If you could hop into a time machine to go back a decade, which publicly traded San Antonio-area company should you have invested in to get your biggest return?
We analyzed the largest San Antonio area companies that were public as of Sept. 17, 2012 and calculated what a $1,000 investment then would be worth now.
In the case of Rush Enterprises, your investment would have appreciated to $3,663.65, up 266.37 percent for a total gain of $2,663.65 excluding dividends. The company owns the nation’s largest network of commercial truck dealerships and posted a record profit last year.
Your next best bet in 2012 would have been Valero Energy, which saw a return of 257.01 percent on a $1,000 investment. The company reported record profit in the second quarter.
Several companies saw their share prices decline over the past decade. NuStar Energy L.P., a San Antonio-based pipeline and terminal operator, saw the biggest dip. A $1,000 investment in 2012 would be worth $299.33 now, a depreciation of 70.07 percent. Despite having the worst performance over the last decade of any of the companies we looked at, the company shared that it reduced its debt and saw record-breaking amounts of crude oil flow through its pipeline network last month.
All but two companies underperformed Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index Fund ETF, which tracks 100 percent of the investable U.S. stock market. Had you played it safe and invested in this ETF, your $1,000 would today be worth $2,629.67.
It’s important to note that past performance does not dictate future results, especially individual stocks, which can both over- and under-perform the market. Warren Buffett recommends those new to the market to invest in index funds such as Vanguard’s Total Stock Market Index Fund because it ebbs and flows with the market as a whole.
The Express-News analyzed the largest San Antonio area companies that were public as of Sept. 17, 2012. Large San Antonio companies like IHeartMedia, Rackspace and XPEL were not yet listed on the stock market at that point.