Three Delightfully Odd Stocks That Would Have Turned $6,000 into Nearly $135,000

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Now, it’s all very well and good to pop your pennies into a safe, slow-and-steady index fund, and watch it plod along like a tortoise. But let me tell you, there’s a rather cheeky joy in gambling on a few lone wolves, these individual stocks. Oh, the potential! You might find yourself staring at a magnificent fortune, twinkling like a rare diamond—suddenly, everything could change. With a pinch of luck, and maybe a sprinkle of wizardry, even the smallest dabble could transform into something marvelously life-altering.

Now, let’s step into the strange, whimsical world of stocks that have burst out of their shells in a most peculiar fashion. I present to you the triumphant trio: Strategy (MSTR), Super Micro Computer (SMCI), and Verona Pharma (VRNA). Imagine, five years ago, you invested a humble $2,000 into each of these strange beasts. Fast forward to today, and your portfolio would be worth a spectacular $135,000! Quite the unexpected twist, wouldn’t you say?

Now, let us peer closer at what’s happened here. We begin with MicroStrategy—an odd little creature indeed.

MicroStrategy: A Wild £65,000 from a Whiff of Bitcoin

Once upon a time, dear friends, MicroStrategy (now simply “Strategy” in a bid for something a tad snappier) was just a dreary business intelligence company, spewing out dreary reports and facing the dreariness of declining sales. The sort of place where numbers go to die. But wait! The most absurd twist: this company fell head-over-heels for Bitcoin. Yes, you heard it right. This oddball decided that instead of shuffling spreadsheets, they’d hoard bitcoins like a dragon hoarding gold in a cave. And now, dear reader, those coins have turned into a splendid windfall. MicroStrategy holds a gobsmacking 607,770 Bitcoins. With Bitcoin’s dizzying rise this year, the company’s stock has surged—by an eye-watering 3,100%! A $2,000 investment five years ago? It’s now worth more than $65,000. Incredible, isn’t it?

Now, let’s not get carried away. The fate of this stock is tied to Bitcoin’s future. If Bitcoin keeps rising like a jet-propelled balloon, then buying into Strategy might seem a clever move. But beware! Bitcoin, that mercurial beast, has a tendency to bounce up and down like a hyperactive kangaroo. So, tread carefully, my friend, because there are risks lurking in the shadows.

Super Micro Computer: A $41,000 Feast on AI’s Table

And then, we come to Super Micro Computer, a name that sounds as though it belongs to some mad scientist’s laboratory. It’s a company that thrives on the madness of artificial intelligence, providing the nuts and bolts (and wires and servers) needed to build the digital brains of tomorrow. And this company has done splendidly well, as the world has gone absolutely bonkers for anything with a whiff of AI.

From a meager $3.6 billion in sales just a few years ago, Supermicro has exploded into a staggering $15 billion in sales, more than quadrupling in size! But here’s the twist: they’ve been through a sticky patch too. Last year, the company’s auditors scuttled off, casting shadows over its financials, making people raise an eyebrow. Yet, like a cockroach after a stampede, the company has bounced back. Today, the stock is a bargain at less than 18 times its expected profits, still one of the cheaper AI stocks. A $2,000 investment back in 2020? It’s worth over $41,000 now. But a word of caution—this company’s margins are thinner than a slice of Swiss cheese, so don’t go expecting it to be all smooth sailing.

Verona Pharma: A Whopping $29,000 from Tiny Pills

And now, last but certainly not least, we have Verona Pharma. Oh, Verona, that sweet little pharmaceutical company. Five years ago, if you’d plopped $2,000 into Verona’s stock, you’d be looking at a cool $29,000 today. Why, you ask? Because this little gem—this sly fox—finally had a drug approved in 2024, a treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A treatment with the potential to make the company explode into something rather grand. So much so, in fact, that pharmaceutical titan Merck came along, waved a big check, and said, “We’ll take this one, thank you very much.” Merck is buying Verona for a hearty $10 billion, which, let’s be honest, is no pocket change. A great deal for Verona, but for investors? Well, the stock is now trading right around the price that Merck is going to pay for it—$107. Still, Merck itself is looking like a good long-term bet.

And there you have it, dear reader! Three unassuming little investments that have turned into mighty windfalls. Together, if you had invested $2,000 in each of these oddities, you’d have $135,000 to play with today. It’s a strange, whimsical world we live in, isn’t it? And, perhaps, there’s more where that came from. Only time will tell. 🌟

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2025-07-31 16:57