CRN 30th Anniversary: Tech Stocks Then And Now

30 Years Of Tech Stocks

If you bought a Xerox share 30 years ago, you would have earned a triple-digit return on that share over the past three decades. But that's small peanuts compared to the returns of some other tech stocks adjusted for stock splits and other activity over the years. In some cases, you could have earned a five-digit return by now. Continuing our celebration of CRN's 30th Anniversary, here's a look at some tech giants and how their stocks have done over the past three decades, or soon after their IPOs.

Xerox

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $7.19
May 17, 1982: $2.32
Change: 210%


Xerox shares closed at $35.00 three decades ago, but the adjusted shares were worth $2.32, less than one-third of their value today.

Hewlett-Packard

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $22.03
May 17, 1982: $1.57
Change: 1,303%


Hewlett-Packard shares don't have the meteoric rise that some of its rivals have, but a 1,303 percent increase over 30 years is nothing to sneeze at.

IBM

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $199.73
May 17, 1982: $8.17
Change: 2,345%


IBM shares actually closed at $64.87 30 years ago, but the adjusted closing price, keeping dividend,s stock splits, etc., over the years makes it an even better return three decades later.

Intel

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $26.88
May 18, 1987: $0.72
Change: 3,633%


Intel shares were already on the market for nearly a year in May 1987 when the company's stock closed at $43.75 per share, or 72 cents adjusted for today's value.

Oracle

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $26.72
May 16, 1988: $0.20
Change: 13,260%


Oracle shares closed at $15.00 per share in March 1988, its first day trading publicly. Adjusted for splits, those shares were worth 18 cents compared to a share today. Twenty-four years ago on May 16, those shares closed at $16.75, or 20 cents adjusted.

Cisco Systems

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $16.69
May 16, 1990: $0.08
Change: 20,762%


Cisco went public in March 1990 and closed at $24.75 per share on May 16 that year, but adjusting for splits those shares would have cost only 8 cents.

Dell

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $15.02
May 16, 1989: $0.07
Change: 21,357%


Dell went public in August 1988, opening at $9.38 per share. It closed at $9.13, or 10 cents per share, adjusted for today. On May 16, 1989, it closed at $7.13, or 7 cents per share, adjusted for splits. Twenty-three years later, those shares would be worth a good return.

Apple

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $546.08
May 16, 1985: $2.44
Change: 22,280%


Although Apple shares have dropped more than $60 per share in the past few weeks, anyone lucky enough to still have some original shares likely isn't complaining. The company went public in September 1984 with a first-day closing price of $26.50, or $3.02 adjusted for splits. Twenty-seven years ago today, those shares had dropped to $21.37 or $2.44, adjusted for today.

Microsoft

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $29.90
May 16, 1986: $0.09
Change: 33,122%


Microsoft shares had only been available publicly for a couple months in May 1986. Its $28.00 opening, adjusted for splits, etc., is comparable to a 9-cent-per-share investment today.

EMC

Adjusted Closing Price
May 16, 2012: $25.57
May 16, 1990: $0.07
Change: 36,429%


EMC went public in December 1989 and closed at $4.50 per share, or 9 cents per share, adjusted for splits and other activity. Five months later, shares were down to $3.38, or 7 cents per share adjusted, which makes it even more of a bargain compared to today.

More From CRN's 30th Anniversary Celebration

CRN Turns 30:
CRN's 30th Anniversary
Where Are They Now?
30 Years Of Headlines
30 In Their 30s
30 Peers With 30 Years