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

— 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 two-decade holding period for an investor who was considering Akamai Technologies Inc (NASD: AKAM) back in 2001, bought the stock, ignored the market’s ups and downs, and simply held through to today.

Start date: 01/29/2001
$10,000

01/29/2001
$35,460

01/28/2021
End date: 01/28/2021
Start price/share: $31.81
End price/share: $112.78
Starting shares: 314.34
Ending shares: 314.34
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 254.51%
Average annual return: 6.53%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $35,460.07

As shown above, the two-decade investment result worked out well, with an annualized rate of return of 6.53%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 20 years ago into $35,460.07 today (as of 01/28/2021). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 254.51% (something to think about: how might AKAM 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:
“The idea that a bell rings to signal when to get into or out of the stock market is simply not credible. After nearly fifty years in this business, I don’t know anybody who has done it successfully and consistently.” — Jack Bogle