Up 17,000 percent and counting

My smartest investment was buying shares of Nvidia. It’s the first stock I bought that was a winner, and it really got me started in my investing adventure. — M.A., online

The Fool responds: You did well, indeed! Shares of semiconductor specialist Nvidia were recently up nearly 17,000 percent over the past 20 years — which comes out to an annual average of more than 29 percent. That’s enough to turn a $10,000 investment into $1.7 million. Even more impressive, those numbers are after the stock’s 65 percent drop from its high point over the past year. Its recent market value was near $300 billion.

You were fortunate to have such a winner early in your investing life, because that definitely helps new investors see what’s possible and can help them stick with it over time.

With any great stock, though, it’s important to remember these things: The stock will not rise in a straight line; there will be pops and drops. And the company may not remain a strong performer with a rosy future — so you should keep up with its progress and developments, in case things change.

Nvidia’s shares are down this year partly due to the tech market slump, but also due to the cryptocurrency downturn, as crypto miners use the company’s graphics processing units (GPUS). Many still see its future as promising, though, as it introduces new offerings and continues to lead in gaming chips.