Bitcoin falls 30% as Google, gold and defence stocks outperform since 2020: Report

Synopsis

Google emerged as the best-performing asset in a Taurex study, gaining nearly 291% between 2020 and August 2026, while Bitcoin fell 30%. BAE Systems, gold, Apple and Microsoft also delivered gains of more than 100%. Defence stocks featured prominently among the top performers, benefiting from higher military spending, geopolitical tensions and increased global security expenditure.

With cryptocurrency markets facing volatility, investors looking for alternatives to crypto may find some strong performers among traditional assets. While Bitcoin has declined 30% over the period, Google stock emerged as the best-performing asset, according to a study by Taurex, gaining nearly 291% and more than tripling in value.

The study tracked the price performance of popular investment options between the end of 2020 and August 12, 2026. It covered major US and UK stocks, gold and Dubai real estate, ranking the assets based on their percentage gains between their 2020 starting prices and their 2026 values.

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Crypto TrackerTOP COINS (₹) Bitcoin7,592,985 (0.81%)XRP135 (0.69%)BNB67,430 (0.02%)Ethereum238,007 (-0.01%)Tether95 (-0.15%)Google emerged as the top-performing asset in the study, with its price rising from $87.63 in 2020 to $342.37 in 2026, a gain of around 291%.

A $10,000 investment in Google at the beginning of the period would have grown to roughly $39,000 based on the stock’s price performance. Taurex attributed the strong performance to Google’s continued dominance in digital advertising and renewed investor interest as artificial intelligence and AI-powered search became major themes in 2023 and 2024.

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BAE Systems ranked second, with its price rising from $672.80 in 2020 to $2,277 in 2026, a gain of 238.4%. The study linked the strong performance of defence companies to rising military spending after 2022, with BAE Systems benefiting from demand for defence equipment, including fighter jets and naval systems.

Gold ranked third, gaining 151% as its price rose from $1,769.60 per ounce in 2020 to $4,442.10 in 2026. Traditionally viewed as a hedge against inflation and economic uncertainty, gold also delivered strong returns during a period of macroeconomic instability, outperforming several popular technology stocks.

Apple ranked fourth, with its price rising from $130.20 in 2020 to $302.30 in 2026, a gain of 132.1%. After experiencing volatility during the 2022 market downturn, the stock recovered, more than doubling in value over the period.

Microsoft completed the top five, with its price increasing from $216.20 in 2020 to $492.40 in 2026, a gain of 127.8%. Its expanding cloud business and growing focus on artificial intelligence supported the stock’s performance, while its investments and partnership with OpenAI attracted greater investor attention as the AI theme gained momentum.

Defence companies accounted for several other spots among the top 10 performers. Kratos Defense gained 123.7%, with its price rising from $28.50 in 2020 to $63.80 in 2026, while RTX gained 123.4%, moving from $99.70 to $222.80.

General Dynamics also more than doubled, gaining 107.4% as its price rose from $190.10 to $394.20. AeroVironment recorded a 94.2% gain, increasing from $99.80 to $193.80.

Defence stocks were not among the most obvious investment choices in 2020, when major technology companies dominated investor attention, the study said. However, rising military budgets in Europe, geopolitical tensions in Asia and a broader increase in security spending helped companies such as BAE Systems and RTX deliver strong returns.

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“Defence stocks weren’t exactly exciting in 2020, as most people thought the big tech names would dominate everything. But between rising military budgets in Europe, tensions in Asia, and a general shift toward spending on security, companies like BAE and RTX ended up delivering returns that many investors weren’t positioned to capture. And when everyone thought that the cycle could be coming to an end, the Iran war happened, and it pushed the prices even further,” said a market analyst from Taurex.

Meta ranked eighth in the study, with its price rising from $272.90 in 2020 to $578.90 in 2026, translating into a 112.1% gain.

The list was completed by General Dynamics, which gained 107.4%, and AeroVironment, which recorded a 94.2% increase.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

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