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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 Warner Bros Discovery Inc (NASD: WBD)? Today, we examine the outcome of a five year investment into the stock back in 2019.

Start date: 05/22/2019
$10,000

05/22/2019
  $2,877

05/21/2024
End date: 05/21/2024
Start price/share: $27.42
End price/share: $7.89
Starting shares: 364.70
Ending shares: 364.70
Dividends reinvested/share: $0.00
Total return: -71.23%
Average annual return: -22.04%
Starting investment: $10,000.00
Ending investment: $2,877.82

The above analysis shows the five year investment result worked out poorly, with an annualized rate of return of -22.04%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 5 years ago into $2,877.82 today (as of 05/21/2024). On a total return basis, that’s a result of -71.23% (something to think about: how might WBD 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:
“In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.” — Benjamin Graham