Once upon a time, I frequently traded in and out of stocks. However, I began to notice that the stocks I held onto tended to deliver greater gains than the ones I sold quickly. I switched to a buy-and-hold strategy. And my returns improved significantly.
Do I sell any stocks these days? Yes, but only when my initial investing premise changes. It's possible that could happen with any of the stocks I own. However, there are at least five stocks in my portfolio I don't plan on ever selling because I don't expect my premise to change.
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1. Amazon
When I began thinking about which stocks belong in my "forever" portfolio, Amazon (AMZN 1.23%) was the first one that came to mind. Founder Jeff Bezos instilled a culture where "it's always Day 1." This mindset keeps Amazon on its toes and continually looking for new opportunities.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is, without a doubt, the best example of how its "Day 1" culture benefits shareholders. The cloud services business generated $93 billion in sales during the first nine months of 2025 and accounted for 59% of Amazon's total operating income.
NASDAQ: AMZN
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What are Amazon's next big opportunities? It's launching a satellite internet service. Consumer robotics could be a massive market for Amazon. Those two possibilities are just the tip of the iceberg for a company with vast financial resources and a "Day 1" outlook.
2. Apple
Apple (AAPL 2.14%) ranks as the largest individual stock holding in my portfolio. I haven't sold a share in years – and I deeply regret having sold at times in the past. I don't plan on making that mistake again.
In my opinion, Warren Buffett was spot on (as he often is) when he described Apple as "probably the best business I know in the world." The company has built a rock-solid ecosystem of products and services centered on its phenomenally successful iPhone.
I don't know how Apple's business will be different 30 years from now. However, I'd wager that the company will be a big winner in the AI glasses market. I also fully expect that Apple will generate massive revenue in the next decade with the rollout of 6G wireless networks, which will support new capabilities such as holographic communication.
3. Berkshire Hathaway
Since I just mentioned Buffett, it's appropriate that the next company in my forever portfolio is Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A 0.33%) (BRK.B 0.36%). Even though Buffett has stepped down as Berkshire's CEO, it will always be his company in my eyes.
Why do I still like Berkshire Hathaway with Buffett no longer at the helm? For one thing, his business and investing philosophy remains firmly in place at the conglomerate. Just listen to new CEO Greg Abel speak. His words sound very similar to Buffett's.
NYSE: BRK.B
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Berkshire's diversification hasn't – and likely won't – diminish in the least, either. I believe Berkshire's diverse portfolio of internally owned businesses and stakes in other publicly traded companies is a key factor in its past success and will continue to contribute to its future success.
4. Intuitive Surgical
Populations across the world are aging. As a result, the volumes of certain types of surgical procedures will likely increase dramatically. Robotic surgical systems pioneer Intuitive Surgical (ISRG 2.71%) should benefit significantly from this trend. Another trend could be even more critical for Intuitive Surgical, though: technological advances.
The company estimates that around 8 million procedures are candidates for its surgical robots based on current products with regulatory clearances. However, Intuitive believes that the number jumps to 22 million, including products and clearances under development. I predict an even higher number in the future as robotic surgical systems technology continues to improve.
5. Vertex Pharmaceuticals
A biotech stock might be a surprising choice for inclusion in a forever portfolio. However, I don't think that Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX 1.51%) is an ordinary biotech stock.
Vertex effectively has a monopoly in treating the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF). The company further cemented its leadership in CF with the launch of Alyftrek, its most potent and convenient CF therapy yet. Importantly, though, Vertex has expanded beyond CF, first with gene-editing therapy Casgevy and more recently with non-opioid pain medication Journavx.
NASDAQ: VRTX
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I expect that Vertex will win regulatory approval for povetacicept in the treatment of IgA nephropathy. This kidney disease affects 330,000 patients in the U.S. and Europe, almost three times the size of the CF patient population. I also anticipate success for APOL1-mediated kidney disease drug inaxaplin and Type 1 diabetes therapy zimislecel.
Most importantly, though, I believe that Vertex will continue to apply its scientific expertise to treat and even cure the most challenging diseases. There are a lot of them for the company to target.
