$10K Invested In Mettler-Toledo International In 2009 Is Worth This Much Today

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— Warren Buffett

A critical pearl of wisdom from Warren Buffett teaches us that with any potential stock investment we may make, as soon as our buy order is filled we will have a choice: to remain a co-owner of that company for the long haul, or to react to the inevitable short-term ups and downs that the stock market is famous for (sometimes sharp ups and downs).

The reality of this choice forces us to challenge our confidence in any given company we might invest into, and keep our eyes on the long-term time horizon. The market may go up and down the interim, but over a ten year holding period, will the investment succeed?

Back in 2009, investors may have been asking themselves that very question about Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE: MTD). Let’s examine what would have happened over a ten year holding period, had you invested in MTD shares back in 2009 and held on.

MTD 10-Year Return Details
Start date:	09/14/2009	$10,000 09/14/2009 $79,601 09/11/2019
End date:	09/11/2019
Start price/share:	$90.22
End price/share:	$718.18
Starting shares:	110.84
Ending shares:	110.84
Dividends reinvested/share:	$0.00
Total return:	696.03%
Average annual return:	23.06%
Starting investment:	$10,000.00
Ending investment:	$79,601.68

The above analysis shows the ten year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 23.06%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 10 years ago into $79,601.68 today (as of 09/11/2019). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 696.03% (something to think about: how might MTD shares perform over the next 10 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

One more piece of investment wisdom to leave you with:
“The right time for a company to finance its growth is not when it needs capital, but rather when the market is most receptive to providing capital.” — Michael Milken