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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 2018, and take a look at what happened to investors who asked that very question about Dollar Tree Inc (NASD: DLTR), by taking a look at the investment outcome over a five year holding period.

Start date: 06/04/2018
$10,000

06/04/2018
  $15,951

06/01/2023
End date: 06/01/2023
Start price/share: $81.21
End price/share: $129.56
Starting shares: 123.14
Ending shares: 123.14
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 59.54%
Average annual return: 9.80%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $15,951.05

The above analysis shows the five year investment result worked out well, with an annualized rate of return of 9.80%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 5 years ago into $15,951.05 today (as of 06/01/2023). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 59.54% (something to think about: how might DLTR 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