Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org

“I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five 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 five year holding period for an investor who was considering FleetCor Technologies Inc (NYSE: FLT) back in 2016, bought the stock, ignored the market’s ups and downs, and simply held through to today.

Start date: 04/29/2016
$10,000

04/29/2016
$18,935

04/28/2021
End date: 04/28/2021
Start price/share: $154.68
End price/share: $292.84
Starting shares: 64.65
Ending shares: 64.65
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 89.32%
Average annual return: 13.62%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $18,935.38

The above analysis shows the five year investment result worked out quite well, with an annualized rate of return of 13.62%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 5 years ago into $18,935.38 today (as of 04/28/2021). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 89.32% (something to think about: how might FLT shares perform over the next 5 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

One more piece of investment wisdom to leave you with:
“History provides a crucial insight regarding market crises: they are inevitable, painful and ultimately surmountable.” — Shelby Davis