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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 decade-long holding period for an investor who was considering Micron Technology Inc. (NASD: MU) back in 2011, bought the stock, ignored the market’s ups and downs, and simply held through to today.

Start date: 06/03/2011
$10,000

06/03/2011
$92,058

06/02/2021
End date: 06/02/2021
Start price/share: $9.16
End price/share: $84.34
Starting shares: 1,091.70
Ending shares: 1,091.70
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 820.74%
Average annual return: 24.84%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $92,058.85

The above analysis shows the decade-long investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 24.84%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 10 years ago into $92,058.85 today (as of 06/02/2021). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 820.74% (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.]

Here’s one more great investment quote before you go:
“The stock market is filled with individuals who know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.” — Phillip Fisher