In the following video, Fool contributor Matt Thalman discusses why he believes both Waste Management (WM 0.31%) and Duke Energy (DUK 0.54%) are two stocks an investor could buy hold for the next 20, 30, even 50 years without worry. Matt sees both as leading stocks in industries we couldn't live without. Agree? Disagree? Check out the video and let us know what you think.
2 Service Industry Stocks Built to Last
By Matt Thalman – Sep 7, 2013 at 12:30PM
NYSE: WM
WM
Market Cap
$87B
Today's Change
(-0.31%) $0.67
Current Price
$214.73
Price as of October 21, 2025 at 3:58 PM ET
These companies are here for the long haul.
About the Author
Matt first became interested in the stock market while attending West Virginia University. A finance professor told a story about how a few thousand dollars invested in Mylan Pharmaceutical's stock in the 1970's had turned a number of employees, some even working as janitors at the company, into millionaires after holding onto their shares for more than 30 years. The seed of investing in quality stocks and holding those positions for a very long time was planted. After completing his MBA and working in the hospitality industry in Las Vegas for a number of years, Matt joined the Fool as a contributor in 2011. Follow his stock picks on CAPS at TMFMT.
Follow @mthalman5513