The COVID-19 pandemic presented a great opportunity for long-term investors. Amid the chaos and confusion, some people zigged when everyone else zagged and bought incredible companies at cheap prices.
Some tech stocks have produced generational returns for people who bought shares during the pandemic. March 16, 2020, was a historically bad day for investors that has been nicknamed “Black Monday II.”
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The stock market offers many lessons on patience and resilience. If you bought shares of your favorite tech companies at that time, here’s how much you would have earned.
Fear about the pandemic and less artificial intelligence (AI) buzz made Nvidia stock vulnerable during the pandemic. Per The Motley Fool, shares dropped 38% between February and March 2020. Shares closed at a split-adjusted $4.91 on March 16, 2020.
Investing $10,000 into Nvidia back then would have given you about 2,036 in present shares. With Nvidia stock trading at $139.99 per share as of the close on June 5, 2025, a $10,000 investment would have turned into $285,020.
Nvidia is the biggest winner on this list due to the rise of AI, but investors who bought other Magnificent 7 stocks on March 16, 2020, would have performed well too.
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Tesla’s stock value was sliced by more than half in just a few weeks, with March 16, 2020, delivering a big blow to investors. The stock closed at a split-adjusted $29.67 per share on March 16, 2020. On June 5, 2025, the stock closed at $284.70.
If you put $10,000 into Tesla when the market closed on March 16, 2020, you would have 337 in present shares. Those shares are now worth approximately $95,944. Although the gain isn’t as ginormous as Nvidia’s returns, any investor would have been happy to claim it for themselves.
Most of Tesla’s recovery came in 2021 when electric vehicle (EV) stocks became the craze. Tesla itself also took a beating in 2022, and it took more than three years for the stock to reclaim its 2021 high. Tesla is gaining momentum and can set a new high in 2025, but it’s not just about EVs. The new catalysts for Tesla include humanoid robots and its cybercabs that aim to give ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft a run for their money.
Apple has one of the best historical records among the stocks listed. It’s been a top holding in most funds for many years and didn’t disappoint for investors who bought on March 16 at the close.
Shares were valued at a split-adjusted price of $60.55 apiece on that day, and the stock now trades at around $200.63 per share, as of the close on June 5, 2025. A $10,000 investment on March 16, 2020, would have netted 165 present shares, which would be valued at $33,104 today. Although Nvidia and Tesla make that return look pedestrian, it’s still a much higher return than the S&P 500 during the same stretch.
Microsoft has diversified beyond personal computers and expanded into AI, cloud computing, gaming, social media and other industries. The company has also been a mainstay in top funds for decades, and it delivered a return similar to Apple’s.
Microsoft shares closed at $135.42 on March 16, 2020. It closed at $467.68 on June 5, 2025. A $10,000 investment would have yielded 73 shares. Those shares are now worth $34,141. The return is slightly higher than Apple’s gains during the same stretch.
Meta Platforms is one of the most interesting companies on this list. Shares traded at $146.01 at the end of March 16, 2020. If you put $10,000 into the stock, you would have ended up with 68 shares, which would be valued at $46,554 today. This calculation assumes a current price of $684.62, which is where Meta closed on June 5, 2025.
Although that’s a good return, the real buying opportunity came in 2022. Investors were worried about Meta Platforms’ advertising business model and its metaverse investments. The stock plunged to $90 per share near the end of 2022 before delivering one of the most exceptional rallies for patient investors. Its ad business continued to deliver solid growth rates and silenced the critics.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: If You Invested in These 5 Tech Companies During the COVID Pandemic, Here’s How Much You’d Have Today
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