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“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”

— Warren Buffett

The Warren Buffett investment philosophy calls for a long-term investment horizon, where a two-decade holding period, or even longer, would fit right into the strategy. How would such a strategy have worked out for an investment into Edwards Lifesciences Corp (NYSE: EW)? Today, we examine the outcome of a two-decade investment into the stock back in 2003.

Start date: 03/03/2003
$10,000

03/03/2003
  $363,797

02/28/2023
End date: 02/28/2023
Start price/share: $2.21
End price/share: $80.44
Starting shares: 4,524.89
Ending shares: 4,524.89
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 3,539.82%
Average annual return: 19.68%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $363,797.01

As shown above, the two-decade investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 19.68%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 20 years ago into $363,797.01 today (as of 02/28/2023). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 3,539.82% (something to think about: how might EW shares perform over the next 20 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

One more investment quote to leave you with:
“One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute.” — William Feather