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“I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five years.”

— Warren Buffett

This inspiring quote from Warren Buffett teaches us the importance of considering our investment time horizon when approaching any given investment: Could we envision ourselves holding the stock we are considering for many years? Even a five year holding period potentially?

For “buy-and-hold” investors taking a long-term view, what’s important isn’t the short-term stock market fluctuations that will inevitably occur, but what happens over the long haul. Looking back 5 years to 2016, investors considering an investment into shares of Fiserv Inc (NASD: FISV) may have been pondering this very question and thinking about their potential investment result over a full five year time horizon. Here’s how that would have worked out.

Start date: 09/01/2016
$10,000

09/01/2016
$22,693

08/31/2021
End date: 08/31/2021
Start price/share: $51.90
End price/share: $117.79
Starting shares: 192.68
Ending shares: 192.68
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 126.96%
Average annual return: 17.81%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $22,693.99

As shown above, the five year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 17.81%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 5 years ago into $22,693.99 today (as of 08/31/2021). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 126.96% (something to think about: how might FISV shares perform over the next 5 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

Here’s one more great investment quote before you go:
“In investing, what is comfortable is rarely profitable.” — Robert Arnott