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“When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever.”

— 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 two-decade 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 Biogen Inc (NASD: BIIB) back in 2000, holding through to today.

Start date: 11/24/2000
$10,000

11/24/2000
$14,346

11/23/2020
End date: 11/23/2020
Start price/share: $169.50
End price/share: $243.38
Starting shares: 59.00
Ending shares: 59.00
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 43.59%
Average annual return: 1.82%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $14,346.56

As shown above, the two-decade investment result worked out as follows, with an annualized rate of return of 1.82%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 20 years ago into $14,346.56 today (as of 11/23/2020). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 43.59% (something to think about: how might BIIB shares perform over the next 20 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

One more piece of investment wisdom to leave you with:
“You’ve got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, ’cause you might not get there.” — Yogi Berra