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“Only buy something that you’d be perfectly happy to hold if the market shut down for 10 years.”

— 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 ten 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 United Rentals Inc (NYSE: URI) back in 2010, holding through to today.

Start date: 06/02/2010
$10,000

06/02/2010
$110,943

06/01/2020
End date: 06/01/2020
Start price/share: $12.62
End price/share: $139.96
Starting shares: 792.39
Ending shares: 792.39
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 1,009.03%
Average annual return: 27.19%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $110,943.54

The above analysis shows the ten year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 27.19%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 10 years ago into $110,943.54 today (as of 06/01/2020). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 1,009.03% (something to think about: how might URI shares perform over the next 10 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

More investment wisdom to ponder:
“One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute.” — William Feather