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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 Warren Buffett investment philosophy calls for a long-term investment horizon, where a five year holding period, or even longer, would fit right into the strategy. How would such a strategy have worked out for an investment into Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc (NYSE: CMG)? Today, we examine the outcome of a five year investment into the stock back in 2018.

Start date: 09/26/2018
$10,000

09/26/2018
  $39,741

09/25/2023
End date: 09/25/2023
Start price/share: $467.91
End price/share: $1,859.69
Starting shares: 21.37
Ending shares: 21.37
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 297.45%
Average annual return: 31.78%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $39,741.80

As shown above, the five year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 31.78%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 5 years ago into $39,741.80 today (as of 09/25/2023). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 297.45% (something to think about: how might CMG shares perform over the next 5 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

More investment wisdom to ponder:
“Twenty years in this business convinces me that any normal person using the customary three percent of the brain can pick stocks just as well, if not better, than the average Wall Street expert.” — Peter Lynch