Web Browser

Web Browser

When millions of people started browsing the World Wide Web in the mid-1990s, most did so on the Netscape Navigator. Released in 1994 and updated several times, Netscape's product was the de facto browser for that era of the Web. Subsequent versions of Netscape's browser eventually were eclipsed by Microsoft's Internet Explorer and other products, and Netscape was acquired by AOL (AOL) in 1999.

Introduced: Netscape shares went public on Aug. 9, 1995.
Immediate stock impact: Shares rose 53% in their first year on the market.
Long-term performance: After its initial run, Netscape's stock did not move significantly until the stock rose 472% in the five months before AOL's acquisition.