“Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.”
— 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 twenty 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 Mettler-Toledo International, Inc. (NYSE: MTD) back in 2005, holding through to today.
| Start date: | 10/31/2005 |
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| End date: | 10/28/2025 | ||||
| Start price/share: | $51.60 | ||||
| End price/share: | $1,404.58 | ||||
| Starting shares: | 193.80 | ||||
| Ending shares: | 193.80 | ||||
| Dividends reinvested/share: | $0.00 | ||||
| Total return: | 2,622.05% | ||||
| Average annual return: | 17.96% | ||||
| Starting investment: | $10,000.00 | ||||
| Ending investment: | $272,202.31 | ||||
The above analysis shows the twenty year investment result worked out exceptionally well, with an annualized rate of return of 17.96%. This would have turned a $10K investment made 20 years ago into $272,202.31 today (as of 10/28/2025). On a total return basis, that’s a result of 2,622.05% (something to think about: how might MTD shares perform over the next 20 years?). [These numbers were computed with the Dividend Channel DRIP Returns Calculator.]
One more investment quote to leave you with:
“As time goes on, I get more and more convinced that the right method of investment is to put fairly large sums into enterprises which one thinks one knows something about and in the management of which one thoroughly believes.” — John Maynard Keynes
