10 Best Long-Term Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever

Are you a beginner or seasoned investor looking for the best long-term stocks to buy and hold for the long haul? Building wealth in the stock market is less about timing the next hot trade and more about owning great businesses for years — letting compounding, dividends and reinvestment do the heavy lifting while you ride out short-term volatility.

In this guide we cover the best stocks for long-term investment, a refreshed look at each company with current figures, a practical framework for choosing your own “forever” holdings, the pitfalls to avoid, and a simple how-to for investors in Malaysia and Singapore who want exposure to these global names.

All prices, market caps, yields and dividend figures below were verified in July 2026 from company filings and reputable data providers (Morningstar, StockAnalysis, MarketBeat). Markets move daily — always confirm the latest numbers with your broker before investing.

10 Best Long-Term Stocks to Buy and Hold in 2026

Whether you are a newbie, a seasoned investor, or still deciding on your investment style, here are 10 of the best stocks to buy and hold for the long term — a mix of wide-moat compounders, dividend stalwarts and cash-generating giants:

*Market caps and yields verified July 2026 via Morningstar and StockAnalysis; figures are approximate and change with the market. “Dividend King” = 50+ years of consecutive increases; “Aristocrat” = 25+ years.

A Closer Look at Each Long-Term Stock

Below is a refreshed 2026 take on each company — what it does, why it can work as a long-term hold, and the key risk to keep on your radar.

Microsoft (MSFT)

Microsoft remains one of the most dependable long-term compounders in the market, spanning operating systems, Office productivity, gaming, and the two engines driving it today: its Azure cloud platform and artificial intelligence (through Copilot and its multi-billion-dollar OpenAI partnership).

The investment case is straightforward: sticky enterprise software, recurring subscription revenue, enormous free cash flow, consistent buybacks, and a dividend Microsoft has raised for roughly two decades. As of July 2026 the stock trades near $391 for a market cap of about $2.9 trillion, with a modest dividend yield around 0.9% ($3.64 annual).

Watch this: Microsoft is rarely “cheap.” Its 52-week range of roughly $349–$555 is a reminder that even great businesses swing hard — a reason to build a position gradually rather than all at once.

McDonald’s (MCD)

McDonald’s is a classic buy-and-hold name thanks to a business model that is as much real estate and franchising as it is burgers and fries. It collects rent and royalties from thousands of franchised locations, which produces remarkably stable, high-margin cash flow through good times and bad.

Trading around $276 (market cap ~$197 billion) in July 2026, MCD yields roughly 2.7% on an annual dividend of $7.44 and has raised its payout for about 49 consecutive years, making it a Dividend Aristocrat. Its value-menu push and loyalty app continue to defend traffic when consumers trade down.

Watch this: A mature, largely saturated store base means growth is incremental — you are buying reliability and dividend growth, not explosive upside.

Procter & Gamble (PG)

Procter & Gamble owns a portfolio of everyday-essential brands — Tide, Pampers, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Oral-B — that consumers keep buying regardless of the economy. That gives P&G pricing power and one of the most reliable cash-flow profiles in consumer staples.

At roughly $147 (market cap ~$345 billion), PG yields about 3.0% on a $4.35 annual dividend. In April 2026 it declared another increase, extending a streak of nearly 70 consecutive years of dividend growth — one of the longest on Wall Street and firmly in Dividend King territory.

Watch this: Staples stocks can lag badly in strong bull markets and are sensitive to currency swings, since a large share of sales is international.

3M (MMM)

3M is a diversified industrial with a science-driven portfolio across safety, industrial, transportation, electronics and consumer products. It is included here as a higher-risk turnaround rather than a set-and-forget stalwart — and the reason matters.

Important update: In April 2024, 3M spun off its healthcare arm as Solventum (NYSE: SOLV) and reset its dividend, ending its decades-long status as an untouchable Dividend King. This followed multi-billion-dollar legal settlements over PFAS “forever chemicals” (~$10.3 billion) and Combat Arms earplugs (~$6 billion). If you saw older articles praising 3M’s unbroken dividend streak, that thesis changed.

Post-reset, 3M trades near $158 (market cap ~$85 billion) and yields around 1.9% ($3.12 annual), which it has begun growing again from the lower base. Under CEO Bill Brown the company has focused on margins, R&D productivity and cash generation.

Watch this: Residual PFAS liability and litigation are real overhangs. Treat 3M as a value/turnaround position sized accordingly — not a core “forever” dividend anchor.

Coca-Cola (KO)

Coca-Cola owns one of the most recognisable brand portfolios on earth — Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Minute Maid — and generates dependable global cash flow. It is famously the largest single equity position at Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway, a vote of confidence in its durability.

In February 2026 Coca-Cola raised its quarterly dividend to $0.53 (about $2.12 a year), extending its Dividend King streak past 63 consecutive years. At roughly $84 (market cap ~$360 billion), the yield sits near 2.6% with room for continued growth.

Watch this: Shifting consumer tastes toward healthier options and a strong US dollar (which dents overseas earnings) are the long-run swing factors.

Apple (AAPL)

Apple pairs the iPhone, Mac and iPad with a fast-growing, high-margin services business (App Store, iCloud, Apple Pay, subscriptions) that deepens its ecosystem lock-in. That combination of hardware loyalty and recurring services revenue is the heart of the long-term thesis.

As of July 2026 Apple trades around $315 and is the world’s second-most-valuable company at roughly $4.7 trillion. The dividend yield is small (~0.3%), but Apple returns enormous cash through buybacks that steadily shrink the share count. The gradual rollout of on-device AI (Apple Intelligence) is the next potential upgrade catalyst.

Watch this: Apple trades at a premium valuation and still leans heavily on iPhone sales — any stumble in China or in AI execution can move the stock sharply.

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ)

Johnson & Johnson is a healthcare cornerstone and one of only a couple of US companies still carrying a coveted AAA credit rating. Since spinning off its consumer-health arm (Kenvue) in 2023, J&J is now a more focused pharmaceuticals and medical-technology business.

In April 2026 it raised its dividend for the 64th consecutive year to $1.34 quarterly ($5.36 annual), cementing Dividend King status. At about $264 (market cap ~$635 billion), the yield is roughly 2.0%. Ageing populations worldwide underpin steady long-term demand for its drugs and devices.

Watch this: Ongoing talc-related litigation remains the headline risk and can create periodic volatility, though J&J’s balance sheet is built to absorb it.

NextEra Energy (NEE)

For long-term investors who want a defensive anchor, regulated utilities are hard to beat — and NextEra Energy is the standout. It combines Florida Power & Light (one of the largest, fastest-growing regulated utilities in the US) with the world’s biggest generator of wind and solar power.

At roughly $88 (market cap ~$181 billion), NEE yields about 2.8% ($2.49 annual) and has raised its dividend for around 31 consecutive years. A powerful modern tailwind: surging electricity demand from AI data centres, which need vast, reliable power that NextEra is positioned to supply.

Watch this: Utilities carry heavy debt loads, so higher-for-longer interest rates can pressure the shares even as the underlying business grows.

Medtronic (MDT)

Medtronic, the original inventor of the pacemaker, is a global leader in medical devices across cardiovascular, neuroscience and surgical therapies. Its consistent profitability funds one of the more generous dividends in the group.

MDT offers the highest yield of these ten at around 3.4% ($2.84 annual, ~48 straight years of increases) and trades near $84 (market cap ~$107 billion). In March 2026 Medtronic IPO’d its diabetes unit as MiniMed Group, one of the largest medtech listings ever, sharpening the parent company’s focus on its highest-margin franchises.

Watch this: Post-separation execution and a history of uneven organic growth are the things to monitor; the aging-population tailwind is the long-term offset.

Amazon (AMZN)

Amazon hardly needs an introduction. It dominates US e-commerce, runs the leading cloud platform in AWS, and has built a high-margin advertising business on top — three profit engines under one roof.

Trading around $247 in July 2026 (market cap ~$2.6 trillion), Amazon pays no dividend — it reinvests to compound growth, which is exactly what long-term holders want from it. Cloud adoption and AI workloads still have years of runway, and free cash flow has been inflecting higher as the retail business grows more efficient.

Watch this: With no dividend, your entire return depends on continued execution and reinvestment — and the stock can be volatile around earnings and capex cycles.

Read also: Best Growth Stocks to Buy for the Long Term

Also Worth Considering for a “Forever” Portfolio

The ten above are proven, widely held names, but a durable long-term portfolio benefits from breadth. A few other wide-moat compounders frequently appear on 2026 buy-and-hold lists and are worth researching alongside our picks:

• Alphabet (GOOGL) — Google Search, YouTube, Android and Google Cloud, plus a leading position in AI. Deep pockets and multiple growth engines.
• Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) — dozens of cash-generating businesses and a huge equity portfolio in a single ticker; diversified blue-chip exposure with no dividend to tax.
• Visa (V) — a toll-booth on global digital payments with fat margins and a long structural growth runway as cash use declines.
• Costco (COST) — a membership retailer with famously sticky customers and pricing power that keeps growing same-store sales even through inflation.

None of these are recommendations to buy today at any price — valuation always matters. They are simply strong businesses to add to your own watchlist. For income-focused Malaysian investors, also compare these with our guide to blue-chip dividend stocks in Malaysia.

How to Choose Long-Term “Buy and Hold Forever” Stocks

Great long-term holdings tend to share a handful of traits. Before you buy any stock to hold for a decade or more, run it through this checklist:

1. A durable competitive moat

Look for a real, lasting advantage: a beloved brand (Apple, Coca-Cola), a network effect or ecosystem lock-in (Microsoft, Visa), unique technology, or scale that rivals cannot easily copy. A wide moat is what lets a company defend profits for decades.

2. Strong financial health

Favour companies with a solid balance sheet, manageable debt, growing earnings and, above all, consistent free cash flow. Cash flow is what funds dividends, buybacks and reinvestment. If you are unsure where to start, see our guide on how to analyse a company’s financial position.

3. A shareholder-friendly track record

A long history of rising dividends (Dividend Aristocrats and Kings like PG, KO and JNJ) or disciplined buybacks signals management that respects shareholders. But — as 3M’s 2024 dividend reset shows — a streak is a starting point, not a guarantee. Always check that the payout is still well covered by cash flow.

4. Competent, aligned management

Look for a capable leadership team with a track record of smart capital allocation and, ideally, meaningful insider ownership so their interests match yours.

5. A sensible entry price

Even the best business can be a poor investment if you overpay. Compare the current valuation with the company’s own history and consider buying in tranches (dollar-cost averaging) rather than all at once.

Common Pitfalls When Buying and Holding

“Buy and hold” is simple to say and hard to do. These are the mistakes that trip up long-term investors most often:

• “Hold forever” is not “ignore forever.” Theses change — 3M cut its dividend, companies spin off divisions, moats erode. Review your holdings at least once or twice a year.
• Chasing yield. An unusually high dividend yield is often a warning sign that the market expects a cut, not a bargain. Check payout ratios and cash-flow coverage.
• Over-concentration. Owning five tech mega-caps is not diversification. Spread across sectors (staples, healthcare, utilities, industrials) and geographies.
• Panic-selling in drawdowns. Even the best stocks fall 30–50% at times. Selling in fear is how long-term investors turn temporary declines into permanent losses.
• Forgetting taxes and fees. For overseas investors, US withholding tax and platform fees quietly erode returns — factor them in (see below).

How to Buy These Stocks from Malaysia & Singapore

All ten picks are US-listed, so investors in Malaysia and Singapore need a broker with access to the NYSE and Nasdaq. A few practical points:

• Choose a broker with US-market access. Popular options for the region include Interactive Brokers, moomoo, Webull, Tiger Brokers and Rakuten Trade (for MY). Compare commissions, FX spreads and custody fees — see our roundup of the best share-trading platforms in Malaysia.
• Use fractional shares. With Apple near $315 and Microsoft near $391, fractional investing lets you start with a small amount and build positions steadily. Our fractional shares guide explains how.
• Mind the 30% US dividend withholding tax. Non-US investors typically have 30% withheld on US dividends (there is generally no US capital-gains tax for non-residents). This matters most for the higher-yielders here — MDT, PG and NEE — and less for Amazon, which pays none.
• Dollar-cost average. Investing a fixed amount on a schedule smooths out volatility and removes the temptation to time the market. If you are still weighing your approach, our trading vs investing explainer is a good primer.

The Role of Portfolio Rebalancing

As your portfolio grows, winners will come to dominate and your risk mix will drift from your original plan. Rebalancing — periodically trimming what has grown too large and topping up what has lagged — keeps your allocation aligned with your goals.

Done consistently, rebalancing helps you maintain diversification, control risk, and mechanically “sell high and buy low” over time. Many long-term investors rebalance once or twice a year, or whenever an asset drifts more than a set percentage from its target weight. Keep transaction costs and taxes in mind so the benefit is not eaten up by fees.

Read also: Best Long-Term ETFs to Buy and Hold

Final Thoughts

Long-term investing rewards patience. Markets are volatile — even the highest-quality companies on this list have endured steep drawdowns — but history shows that owning great businesses and holding through the noise tends to pay off. Over most 20-year periods, the S&P 500 has delivered positive returns.

Use this list as a research starting point, not a shopping list. Verify the latest numbers, size each position to your own risk tolerance, diversify across sectors, and keep an eye on the theses that matter (like 3M’s turnaround or J&J’s litigation). If you are just getting started, our beginner-friendly guide on how to invest in stocks walks through the basics.

Frequently Asked Questions

*General Advisory Disclaimer:

This article is provided by KayaToday for general information and education only. It does not take into account your objectives, financial situation or needs, and is not personalised investment advice. All figures were verified in July 2026 and can change at any time — confirm current data and consider your own circumstances (and, where appropriate, consult a licensed financial adviser) before making any investment decision. Investing carries risk, including the possible loss of capital.