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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

One of the most important things investors can learn from Warren Buffett, is about how they approach their time horizon for an investment into a stock under consideration. Because immediately after buying shares of a given stock, investors will then be able to check on the day-to-day (and even minute-by-minute) market value. Some days the stock market will be up, other days down. These daily fluctuations can often distract from the long-term view. Today, we look at the result of a ten year holding period for an investor who was considering Micron Technology Inc. (NASD: MU) back in 2010, bought the stock, ignored the market’s ups and downs, and simply held through to today.

Start date: 11/09/2010
$10,000

11/09/2010
$69,819

11/06/2020
End date: 11/06/2020
Start price/share: $7.90
End price/share: $55.16
Starting shares: 1,265.82
Ending shares: 1,265.82
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 598.23%
Average annual return: 21.45%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $69,819.25

As shown above, the ten year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 21.45%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 10 years ago into $69,819.25 today (as of 11/06/2020). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 598.23% (something to think about: how might MU shares perform over the next 10 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

Another great investment quote to think about:
“Nearly every time I strayed from the herd, I’ve made a lot of money. Wandering away from the action is the way to find the new action.” — Jim Rogers