Home Depot's (NYSE: HD) days of rapid growth are likely behind it. In recent years, it has added few locations as it has saturated its markets in the U.S. and Canada, and its previous plans to expand outside of North America did not work out.

The company's increasing revenue and rising payouts could still serve investors as a place to store wealth while deriving modest income. But the real lesson may come from its ability to derive massive returns over the years -- and how current investors can perhaps learn from its example as they size up younger companies today.

Investors who see Home Depot as a "keep you rich" stock may be surprised to see the returns it has made for its longtime investors. Its initial public offering (IPO) was in September 1981, only two years after opening its first two locations around Atlanta, Georgia.

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Source Fool.com