Broader equities almost always deliver positive returns over the span of a decade. That's been the case for over 100 years, other than a few 10-year periods that were rocked by significant economic instability. Those exceptions aside, it's a pretty good bet that investors who put their money in stocks today will see competitive returns through 2036.
Investing in dividend stocks, which can help boost returns through dividend reinvestment, is particularly good, as they have outperformed their peers that don't offer dividends over long periods. Let's discuss two dividend stocks that are worth sticking with through the next 10 years: Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY 2.38%) and Amgen (AMGN +0.11%).
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1. Bristol Myers Squibb
Bristol Myers' stock has moved sideways over the trailing 12-month period -- significantly underperforming broader equities in the process -- as it deals with some issues, especially relatively recent and upcoming patent cliffs. However, the company has shown in the past that it can navigate these challenges, and it is likely to do so relatively well again. Bristol Myers still has a deep product lineup, especially in oncology, but also in other areas.
Newer approvals, such as a subcutaneous formulation of its blockbuster cancer medicine Opdivo, will help fend off generic and biosimilar competition.
NYSE: BMY
Key Data Points
The company is also developing some exciting novel compounds. One of them, BMS-986446, targets Alzheimer's disease (AD). This isn't an easy target. Most attempts at developing new therapies for AD over the past 20 years have failed, so much so that the area was dubbed a graveyard for investigational drugs.
However, BMS-986446 looks promising and has been granted Fast Track Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This is a designation reserved for investigational medicines showing encouraging signs of efficacy in areas with high unmet needs.
Even if this one fails, Bristol Myers has plenty of other candidates in the pipeline. They include BMS-986001 for HIV infection, iberdomide for multiple myeloma, and BNT327 for a range of cancers, which it is developing with BioNTech.
Bristol Myers should succeed in launching even newer products after the several it has introduced since the turn of the decade. This will allow it to boost revenue and earnings growth while overcoming patent cliffs.
It will also help it maintain its dividend program. The company currently offers a juicy forward yield of 4.4% and has increased its payouts by 65.8% over the past decade. Bristol Myers is an attractive income stock to hold through the next decade despite recent obstacles.
2. Amgen
Amgen did well in 2025, but that might not carry over to this year, as the biotech will face the full effects of a recent patent cliff. The good news is that the drugmaker is also well-positioned to overcome this setback. Several of its growth drivers are still performing well. They include asthma treatment Tezspire, which has earned some label expansions in recent years (including in late 2025) that will help it generate higher sales.
Tepezza, approved for thyroid eye disease, is also performing well after earning approvals in several other countries in recent years, including Japan and Brazil.
NASDAQ: AMGN
Key Data Points
Amgen's Repatha, indicated to help lower bad cholesterol, remains one of its biggest growth drivers, while the company's Pavblu, a biosimilar version of the blockbuster eye medicine Eylea, has stolen a meaningful share of the original's market. Beyond these (and other) products performing just fine, Amgen has interesting pipeline candidates. The company's investigational GLP-1 medicine, MariTide, kicked off phase 3 studies across a range of indications, including diabetes and weight management.
The biotech's recent late-stage successes include bemarituzumab for gastric cancer. And there are several more programs that could eventually help it expand its lineup. Given that its list of approved products remains strong, and it has a robust pipeline as well, Amgen looks well-positioned to perform well through the next 10 years, even as it navigates a patent cliff or two.
The company's dividend program looks safe as well. Amgen's forward yield tops 3%, while it has increased its dividend every year since first initiating it in 2011. Income-seeking investors can confidently add this stock to their portfolios.
