$10k In Amazon.com Shows ‘Buy And Hold’ Is Alive And Well

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— Warren Buffett

A critical pearl of wisdom from Warren Buffett teaches us that with any potential stock investment we may make, as soon as our buy order is filled we will have a choice: to remain a co-owner of that company for the long haul, or to react to the inevitable short-term ups and downs that the stock market is famous for (sometimes sharp ups and downs).

The reality of this choice forces us to challenge our confidence in any given company we might invest into, and keep our eyes on the long-term time horizon. The market may go up and down the interim, but over a five year holding period, will the investment succeed?

Back in 2017, investors may have been asking themselves that very question about Amazon.com Inc (NASD: AMZN). Let’s examine what would have happened over a five year holding period, had you invested in AMZN shares back in 2017 and held on.

AMZN 5-Year Return Details
Start date:	05/10/2017	$10,000 05/10/2017 $22,926 05/09/2022
End date:	05/09/2022
Start price/share:	$948.95
End price/share:	$2,175.78
Starting shares:	10.54
Ending shares:	10.54
Dividends reinvested/share:	$0.00
Total return:	129.28%
Average annual return:	18.05%
Starting investment:	$10,000.00
Ending investment:	$22,926.09

As we can see, the five year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 18.05%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 5 years ago into $22,926.09 today (as of 05/09/2022). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 129.28% (something to think about: how might AMZN 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:
“I believe in the discipline of mastering the best that other people have ever figured out. I don’t believe in just sitting down and trying to dream it all up yourself. Nobody’s that smart.” — Charlie Munger