In just over two decades, Meta Platforms (META 0.55%) went from a scrappy social media start-up called Facebook to a global internet juggernaut that's valued at $1.9 trillion. Connecting the world through its various social media platforms has clearly worked out well. As of June 30, Meta has a whopping 3.48 billion daily active users among its various platforms.
That kind of growth also means it's no surprise that an investment in this "Magnificent Seven" stock has worked out extremely well for investors, a trend that holds up even in recent times. If you'd invested $10,000 in Meta Platforms five years ago, here's how much you'd have today.
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Crushing the market
In the past five years, the S&P 500 has generated a total return of 104%. That's nothing to scoff at. But Meta has been a significant outperformer. Its shares have produced a total return of 168% since early September 2020. A $10,000 starting sum would be worth $26,760 today.
This hasn't been a smooth ride, though. Even though it's an established company, Meta's stock still sees lots of volatility in its price. For instance, shares tanked 64% in 2022 due to a slowdown in the ad market and higher spending.
NASDAQ: META
Key Data Points
Strong fundamentals
Between Q2 2020 and Q2 2025, Meta's revenue and diluted earnings per share (EPS) soared by 154% and 297%, respectively. Impressive fundamental gains like this, supported by a constantly expanding user base, have driven shares higher.
You might think that this performance is coming to an end, but this is a flawed outlook. Meta stock trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 25.5. This looks attractive given the ongoing success of the business. Shares are poised to continue beating the market in the years ahead.
