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“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

— Warren Buffett

The investment philosophy practiced by Warren Buffett calls for investors to take a long-term horizon when making an investment, such as a twenty year holding period (or even longer), and reconsider making the investment in the first place if unable to envision holding the stock for at least five years. Today, we look at how such a long-term strategy would have done for investors in Ansys Inc. (NASD: ANSS) back in 1999, holding through to today.

Start date: 12/03/1999
$10,000

12/03/1999
$975,386

12/02/2019
End date: 12/02/2019
Start price/share: $2.57
End price/share: $250.70
Starting shares: 3,891.05
Ending shares: 3,891.05
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 9,654.86%
Average annual return: 25.72%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $975,386.66

As shown above, the twenty year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 25.72%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 20 years ago into $975,386.66 today (as of 12/02/2019). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 9,654.86% (something to think about: how might ANSS shares perform over the next 20 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

Another great investment quote to think about:
“There’s a virtuous cycle when people have to defend challenges to their ideas. Any gaps in thinking or analysis become clear pretty quickly when smart people ask good, logical questions.” — Joel Greenblatt