The old tale about long-term investors making more money seems borne out by Sensex data over the last 25 years. Investors who bought at the beginning of the calendar year and held on for 10 years never lost money. Some benefits of a longer tenure also accrue to investors who hold on for lower durations. A holding period of at least three years reduces chances of negative returns by half, compared with a one-year time frame, and results in an 'eight out of 10' chance of making gains. Probability of gains and losses over various holding periods: