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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 ten year holding period for an investor who was considering Ulta Beauty Inc (NASD: ULTA) back in 2013, bought the stock, ignored the market’s ups and downs, and simply held through to today.

Start date: 04/01/2013
$10,000

04/01/2013
  $65,679

03/30/2023
End date: 03/30/2023
Start price/share: $81.69
End price/share: $536.37
Starting shares: 122.41
Ending shares: 122.41
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 556.59%
Average annual return: 20.71%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $65,679.90

The above analysis shows the ten year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 20.71%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 10 years ago into $65,679.90 today (as of 03/30/2023). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 556.59% (something to think about: how might ULTA shares perform over the next 10 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

More investment wisdom to ponder:
“There is nothing riskier than the widespread perception that there is no risk.” — Howard Marks