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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 Monster Beverage Corp (NASD: MNST) back in 2015, holding through to today.

Start date: 05/15/2015
$10,000

05/15/2015
  $27,651

05/14/2025
End date: 05/14/2025
Start price/share: $22.06
End price/share: $61.00
Starting shares: 453.31
Ending shares: 453.31
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: 176.52%
Average annual return: 10.70%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $27,651.46

The above analysis shows the ten year investment result worked out quite well, with an annualized rate of return of 10.70%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 10 years ago into $27,651.46 today (as of 05/14/2025). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 176.52% (something to think about: how might MNST shares perform over the next 10 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]

Another great investment quote to think about:
“The individual investor should act consistently as an investor and not as a speculator. This means that he should be able to justify every purchase he makes and each price he pays by impersonal, objective reasoning that satisfies him that he is getting more than his money’s worth for his purchase.” — Benjamin Graham