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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

The investment philosophy practiced by Warren Buffett calls for investors to take a long-term horizon when making an investment, such as a ten year holding period (or even longer), and reconsider making the investment in the first place if unable to envision holding the stock for at least five years. Today, we look at how such a long-term strategy would have done for investors in F5 Inc (NASD: FFIV) back in 2014, holding through to today.

Start date: 11/21/2014
$10,000

11/21/2014
  $18,795

11/20/2024
End date: 11/20/2024
Start price/share: $128.73
End price/share: $242.02
Starting shares: 77.68
Ending shares: 77.68
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 88.01%
Average annual return: 6.51%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $18,795.50

The above analysis shows the ten year investment result worked out well, with an annualized rate of return of 6.51%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 10 years ago into $18,795.50 today (as of 11/20/2024). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 88.01% (something to think about: how might FFIV shares perform over the next 10 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

More investment wisdom to ponder:
“Nearly every time I strayed from the herd, I’ve made a lot of money. Wandering away from the action is the way to find the new action.” — Jim Rogers