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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 Autodesk Inc (NASD: ADSK) back in 2013, bought the stock, ignored the market’s ups and downs, and simply held through to today.

Start date: 06/10/2013
$10,000

06/10/2013
  $55,923

06/07/2023
End date: 06/07/2023
Start price/share: $35.97
End price/share: $201.16
Starting shares: 278.01
Ending shares: 278.01
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 459.24%
Average annual return: 18.79%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $55,923.45

The above analysis shows the ten year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 18.79%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 10 years ago into $55,923.45 today (as of 06/07/2023). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 459.24% (something to think about: how might ADSK shares perform over the next 10 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

One more investment quote to leave you with:
“Value investing requires a great deal of hard work, unusually strict discipline, and a long-term investment horizon. Few are willing and able to devote sufficient time and effort to become value investors, and only a fraction of those have the proper mind-set to succeed.” — Seth Klarman