New Delhi, July 12 -- A comparison of returns across major asset classes, including the Nasdaq, Nifty indices, gold, and real estate, reveals an interesting trend.

While gold delivered the strongest returns over the medium term, the Nasdaq 100 emerged as the biggest long-term wealth creator over 10, 15, and 20 years. Among Indian equity indices, mid-caps delivered the highest returns over the 20-year period.

The data compares annualised returns (CAGR) across the Nasdaq 100, Nifty 100 TRI, Nifty Midcap 150 TRI, Nifty Smallcap 250 TRI, Nifty 500 TRI, gold, and real estate over different investment horizons.

Over the 1-year period, the Nasdaq 100 delivered the highest return of 48.4%. For the 3-year and 5-year periods, gold emerged as the...