5 Stocks You Can Buy and Hold Forever

It's been proved time and again that long-term thinking outperforms short-term trading. With that in mind, we asked five different Motley Fool contributors to share their favorite stock ideas for the long haul. Read on to learn which stocks these industry watchers believe could have what it takes to earn a spot in your forever portfolio.

When I think about a forever stock, two key criteria come to mind. First, the company needs to sell a product or service into a long-term uptrend of demand. Second, the company needs to be built to last, meaning it has a history of generating a lot of cash flow and a strong balance sheet. One company that really fits this mold is ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM). I had to pick one company that might be forever-worthy, it would be Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ). Corning (NYSE:GLW), a leading manufacturer of glass and ceramics, fits the bill. Boeing (NYSE:BA) meets all the criteria and is my pick for a stock to buy and hold forever. If there's one single business I'm confident will remain a part of my portfolio indefinitely, it's specialty insurer and financial holding company Markel Corporation (NYSE:MKL).

Source: Motley Fool

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