It's hard to find a better example of why long-term investors should stay calm during market crashes than Goodman Group Ltd (ASX: GMG) shares.
At the depths of the COVID, Goodman shares briefly traded at $12.10. Fast forward to today, and the stock is changing hands at roughly $26.00.
Let's have a look what a $5,000 Goodman investment in March 2020 would be worth now.
Image source: Getty Images
Double the money
Here's the simple math. If you bought Goodman shares at $12.10 and the current price is $26.00, that's a gain of 115% per share. A $5,000 investment would have bought around 413 shares, which would now be worth approximately $10,744.
That means a $5,000 investment in Goodman shares made near the bottom would now be worth about $10,744.
In other words, Goodman has turned a scary market moment into a potential $5,744 profit in just six years.
Lockdowns spread, recession fears
The bigger lesson is why this happened. Back in March 2020, investors were selling almost everything as lockdowns spread and recession fears dominated headlines.
But Goodman's portfolio of premium logistics, industrial, and urban infill assets was built for the long term.
As e-commerce demand exploded, warehouse space became mission-critical. Retailers, transport groups, and major global platforms all needed strategically located logistics hubs closer to customers. Goodman shares were perfectly positioned to benefit.
Riding the AI boom
And then came the next leg of the story: AI and data centres.
Today, Goodman is no longer viewed as just a traditional property group. A huge portion of its development pipeline is now linked to data centres and digital infrastructure, making it a major beneficiary of the AI boom. Recent updates suggest around 73% of its $14.4 billion pipeline is tied to data centres, giving the group a powerful second growth engine.
The company also benefits from high-quality locations and long-term customer relationships, which have previously supported occupancy and rental growth.
That combination — logistics plus AI infrastructure — helps explain why the Goodman shares have more than doubled from the pandemic lows, even after pulling back from their 2025 highs.
Foolish Takeaway
Of course, the real takeaway for investors is broader than Goodman itself.
The best wealth-building opportunities often appear when fear and volatility are at its highest. In 2020, buying quality ASX stocks – like Goodman shares – felt uncomfortable. Yet for investors willing to focus on long-term business quality instead of short-term panic, the rewards could be enormous.
This $52 billion ASX stock is a textbook case. A $5,000 investment made when the market looked its bleakest would now be worth more than $10,700, and that's before factoring in any distributions along the way.
It's a timely reminder that the next market sell-off could once again create the kind of opportunity that turns a modest investment into something far more meaningful.
