Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org

“I buy on the assumption that they could close the market the next day and not reopen it for five 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 five year holding period for an investor who was considering T-Mobile US Inc (NASD: TMUS) back in 2018, bought the stock, ignored the market’s ups and downs, and simply held through to today.

Start date: 06/15/2018
$10,000

06/15/2018
  $21,340

06/14/2023
End date: 06/14/2023
Start price/share: $60.01
End price/share: $128.05
Starting shares: 166.64
Ending shares: 166.64
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 113.38%
Average annual return: 16.37%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $21,340.53

As we can see, the five year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 16.37%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 5 years ago into $21,340.53 today (as of 06/14/2023). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 113.38% (something to think about: how might TMUS 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:
“Markets are constantly in a state of uncertainty and flux and money is made by discounting the obvious and betting on the unexpected.” — George Soros