If you panicked like everybody else in 2008, selling all your stock as the Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI -0.98%) crashed below 9,000, you made a terrible mistake. Not only did you lock in miserable returns by buying high and selling low, but you also missed out on the greatest comeback rally in recent history.
Twenty-three of today's 30 Dow stocks have more than doubled since December of 2008. Some of the stocks hit hardest in the crash have come back even stronger than before. American Express (AXP -0.84%) has surged 400% higher in five years, while Home Depot (HD -0.31%) more than tripled in six years, which includes the downside of the crash. Visa (V 0.05%) shareholders cursed their luck in 2008 as the stock plunged only months after its long-awaited IPO -- but they can celebrate a massive bounce today.
In the video below, Fool analyst Anders Bylund gives you more detail on these fantastic comeback stories. Then he tells you what they all have in common and how you can use that insight to beat the market.
