There have been plenty of ups and downs at Etsy (NASDAQ: ETSY) since the online marketplace for arts and crafts and vintage items went public at $16 in the springtime of 2015. We've seen layoffs including a change at the top. However, we've also seen a platform sticky enough to retain loyal users despite a significant hike in fees last year.
The highs and lows are real, but if you were fortunate enough to get in at the time of its IPO, you would be handily beating the market right now. An investment of $5,000 made at the time of its IPO would be worth a little more than $12,659 today. The 153% return in more than four years beats out the S&P 500's comparable gain of 49%. Etsy is naturally riskier than owning a basket of 500 blue chips, but most investors will argue that more than tripling the S&P 500's return since its IPO was a risk worth taking.
Image source: Etsy.