Amazon and Apple were the first and second publicly listed U.S. companies to . Apple hit that milestone in August, and then Amazon did in early September.
If you invested in either 10 years ago, that decision would have certainly paid off. But which would have made you richer?
The winner is Amazon.
According to CNBC calculations, a $1,000 investment in Amazon in September 2008 would be worth more than $23,890 as of Friday morning, or more than 22 times as much, including price appreciation and dividends reinvested.
If you put $1,000 in Apple at the same time, your investment would be worth $12,299 now, or more than 11 times as much. While impressive, that's $11,591 less than Amazon.
CNBC: Amazon vs. Apple Stock, September 2008 to September 2018.
While Amazon and Apple's stock have performed well over the last decade, any individual stock can and past returns do not predict future results. That's perhaps why Warren Buffett, chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway, opted when he had the chance, saying didn't fully appreciate the .
These days, expert investors are generally , which continue to innovate at a rapid pace. Amazon recently announced 15 new Alexa-enabled products, including a and a . And Apple new versions of the iPhone and Apple Watch.
The two are now the most valuable companies in the world. Amazon's stock doubled in the past year while Apple's stock gained 41 percent.
If you're looking to invest in Amazon, Apple or just the stock market in general, Buffett and other experienced investors like Mark Cuban and Tony Robbins suggest you , which hold every stock in an index, offer low turnover rates, attendant fees and tax bills. They also fluctuate with the market to eliminate the risk of picking individual stocks.
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Video by Andrea Kramar
