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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

The above quote from Warren Buffett is timeless, and brings into focus the choice about time horizon that any investor should think about before buying a stock they are considering. Behind every stock is an actual business; what will that business look like over a five year period?

Today, let’s look backwards in time to 2016, and take a look at what happened to investors who asked that very question about Monster Beverage Corp (NASD: MNST), by taking a look at the investment outcome over a five year holding period.

Start date: 11/09/2016
$10,000

11/09/2016
$20,545

11/08/2021
End date: 11/08/2021
Start price/share: $44.20
End price/share: $90.83
Starting shares: 226.24
Ending shares: 226.24
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 105.50%
Average annual return: 15.49%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $20,545.75

As shown above, the five year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 15.49%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 5 years ago into $20,545.75 today (as of 11/08/2021). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 105.50% (something to think about: how might MNST shares perform over the next 5 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

One more investment quote to leave you with:
“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