10 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years

In this article, we will look at the 10 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years.

On February 21, David Volpe, Chief Executive Officer of Emerald Asset Management, appeared on a Schwab Network interview to discuss the state of the markets amidst the volatility and positive news from the Supreme Court regarding tariffs. Volpe noted that the news from the Supreme Court is positive; but since the market was already expecting the ruling, the response has been muted. However, he believes that volatility still lingers as President Trump can still use sections 122, 138, 301, and 302 of the law to impose certain tariffs.

​Volpe noted that despite all the volatility, the market has continued to be resilient. He added that most of the sectors that were performing well last year have continued their performance in 2026, with the exception of software and some large-cap technology companies. However, other sectors, including materials, energy, and industrials, have continued their strong performance. He added that we are expected to continue witnessing more volatility as the year progresses from factors such as tariff-related news, the mid-term elections, and announcements from the Federal Reserve. Volpe believes that despite these challenges, the market has proven to be remarkably resilient, and he expects this trend to continue for the rest of the year.

​With that, let’s take a look at the 10 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Next 3 Years.

10 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years

​Our Methodology

We used screeners to identify stocks that are expected to grow their earnings by at least 25% over the next 5 years, and limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. These stocks are also popular among analysts and elite hedge funds.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 427.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 264 percentage points (see more details here).

​10 Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years

10. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)

​NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. On February 23, Joseph Moore from Morgan Stanley reiterated an Overweight rating on NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) ahead of its fiscal Q4 2026 earnings, expected to be released on February 25.

​The analyst noted that the firm has very high confidence that Nvidia will post strong full-year results. Moore also highlighted that he sees a rich catalyst path ahead for the stock. The company is experiencing strong demand from all AI compute forms, including the trailing edge, which is an older generation chip still in use.

The analyst noted that they see clear visibility for the stock in 2026 and that the company’s forecasts are shifting from Blackwell to Vera Rubin, which has the potential to accelerate revenue in the second half of 2026.

​Management expects fiscal Q4 2026 revenue to be around $65 billion, along with GAAP gross margins around 74.8%.

​NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is a semiconductor company. It designs and manufactures graphics processing units and related technologies used in gaming, data centers, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems.

​9. Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO)

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. On February 19, Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) announced the launch of BroadPeak, which is a radio digital front-end SoC chip. The chip is designed to supercharge 5G massive MIMO systems and remote radio heads.

​Management noted that the chip is built on 5nm technology that packs everything, including digital processing, analog-to-digital converters, and RF handling, into a single chip. The compact technology cuts power usage by over 40% compared to previous solutions. Moreover, the chip also provides better frequency coverage, making it ready for 5G Advanced.

​Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) highlighted that as data demands from AI apps and streaming expand, it requires more network capacity. Therefore, operators need efficient ways to handle new spectrum bands. BroadPeak helps operators unlock high-speed coverage using top RF performance, supporting wide bandwidths, carrier aggregation, and also keeps the signal clean.

​Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) is a semiconductor and infrastructure software company. It designs and supplies products, including custom chips, networking solutions, and enterprise software used across industries such as cloud computing, telecommunications, and data centers.

​8. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)

Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. On February 19, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) released positive results from the Phase 3 VIVID-2 open-label extension study. The study is testing Omvoh (mirikizumab-mrkz) to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

​The study found durable remission in Crohn’s, as patients with moderate-to-severe Crohn’s stayed in remission after 3 years of treatment. Moreover, data from VIVID-1 (Crohn’s) and LUCENT-3 (ulcerative colitis) trials showed that the treatment requires minimal hospitalizations and surgeries. Management noted that Omvoh is the first IL-23p19 inhibitor with proven efficacy over 4 years in ulcerative colitis and 3 years in Crohn’s.

​Efficacy results at 152 weeks showed 92.4% clinical remission and 91.2% Corticosteroid-free clinical remission. Adrienne Brown, President of Immunology at Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY), noted that the trial proves that Omvoh helps patients achieve sustained control, potentially changing disease progression.

​Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is a pharmaceutical manufacturer. It develops treatments across therapeutic areas, including diabetes, oncology, immunology, and neuroscience.

7. Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR)

Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. On February 18, Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) announced its partnership with Rackspace Technology to accelerate enterprise deployment of Palantir’s Foundry platform and Artificial Intelligence Platform.

​Management noted that this strategic collaboration is aimed at faster production of AI-ready use cases, particularly for industries that are highly regulated and need data sovereignty and compliance. The partnership is pertinent for Palantir as Rackspace provides a governed operating model designed for security, controls, and compliance. Moreover, the model also cuts AI deployment time from months to weeks.

​As part of this partnership, Palantir will work towards data migration, global implementation, hosting, and managed operations. Sameer Kirtane, Head of US Commercial at Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR), noted:

​“Organizations that adopt our AI Operating Systems fundamentally change their unit economics. In the context of migrating complex data environments, Palantir AIP is taking completion timelines from years to days.”

​Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) is a leading provider of artificial intelligence systems.

6. Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C)

Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. On February 18, Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) announced the completion and closing of the sale of its Russian operations. The company sold its AO Citibank, which was its former Russian subsidiary, to Renaissance Capital.

​Management noted that with the close of this sale, all remaining businesses and around 800 employees will be transferred to Renaissance Capital once the transaction goes through regulatory approvals. Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) had begun winding up its Russian operations in 2021. The process involved multiple approvals, including those from Russian authorities.

​Management highlighted that the sale will add around $4 billion in Q1 2026 to its Common Equity Tier 1 capital, as it removes risk-weighted assets from its balance sheet, cuts disallowed deferred tax assets, and also releases $1.6 billion as a currency translation adjustment.

​Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C) is a global financial services giant offering a wide range of products through segments like Services, Markets, Banking, Wealth, and U.S. Personal Banking.

​5. Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL)

Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. Wall Street is bullish on Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL) after the company topped estimates during its fiscal Q4 2025 earnings, released on February 10. Recently, on February 24, Austin Wurschmidt from KeyBanc reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a $240 price target. Earlier on February 23, Michael Carroll from RBC Capital also reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and raised the price target from $207 to $230.

​During the quarter, Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL) grew its revenue by 41.33% year-over-year to $3.18 billion and topped estimates by $189.99 million. The quarterly normalized funds from operations (or FFO) were $1.45, surpassing the consensus FFO estimate of $1.44,  Management noted that they grew the total portfolio year-over-year same store by 15%, driven by growth in its Seniors Housing Operating, which improved 20.4% during the same time.

​The analysts at KeyBanc like the company’s ability to capitalize on rising demand in the private-pay senior housing segment, driven by aging demographics and scarce new supply. Moreover, the firm also appraised management’s data-driven approach for operations and investments, which creates shareholder value.

​Analyst Austin from KeyBanc noted:

​”Following Its North Star with Another Year of Double-Digit Earnings Growth; We continue to view WELL’s platform and execution as among the best positioned to capitalize on secular demand trends within the private pay SHOP segment.”

​Welltower Inc. (NYSE:WELL) owns and operates a portfolio of over 2,000 seniors housing and wellness communities in the US, UK, and Canada, blending housing, healthcare, and hospitality for aging adults.

​4. Brookfield Corporation (NYSE:BN)

Brookfield Corporation (NYSE:BN) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. On February 12, Brookfield Corporation (NYSE:BN) released its fiscal Q4 and full-year results. The company delivered $20.156 billion in revenue, up from $19.426 a year ago. The earnings per share came in at $0.63, surpassing estimates by $0.03.

​Management noted fiscal 2025 to be driven by record fundraising capital deployment and cash flows across three core segments, including Asset Management, Wealth Solutions, and Operating Businesses. The assets management business of the company reported $112 billion inflows, while the wealth solutions delivered strong growth with distributable earnings increasing 24% year-over-year.

​Following the release, Wall Street has taken a bullish stance on the stock. Recently, on February 23, Bart Dziarski from RBC Capital reiterated a Buy rating on Brookfield Corporation (NYSE:BN) with a price target of $60. Earlier, on February 17, Michael Cyprus from Morgan Stanley also reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and raised the price target from $58 to $60.

​Brookfield Corporation (NYSE:BN) is a Canada-based global investment firm that manages alternative assets to build long-term wealth for institutions and individuals.

​3. Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC)

Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. On February 19, Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) announced that it is relaunching its G-DRIVE brand as a single umbrella for all its high-end external storage drives aimed at content creators.

Management noted that the relaunch will result in the former SanDisk logo being replaced by “G.” This move follows the company’s split in 2025 to become a pure play HDD company. The initial product line-up under the G-DRIVE brand includes ArmorATD, G-DRIVE, G-DRIVE PROJECT, G-DRIVE PROJECT 2, and G-RAID SHUTTLE 4/8.

​That said, Wall Street has a bullish sentiment on Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC). Recently, on February 18, Aaron Rakers from Wells Fargo reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and raised the price target from $260 to $335. On the same day, Amit Daryanani from Evercore ISI also reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $310. Overall, the Street’s 12-month price target reflects more than 19% upside from the current level.

Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:WDC) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of hard disk drives and data storage solutions, serving consumer, enterprise, and cloud markets. The company was founded in 1970 and is headquartered in San Jose, California.

​2. Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT)

Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) has gained more than 25% since its FQ4 2025 earnings, released on February 11. Wall Street also maintains a bullish sentiment on the stock.

​Recently, on February 19, Barclays reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a price target of $281. Earlier on February 17, Bank of America Securities also reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and raised the price target from $250 to $277.

During the quarter, Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) grew its revenue by 22.74% year-over-year to $2.88 billion, but fell short of the expectations by $8.52 million. On the bright side, the EPS of $1.36 topped the consensus by $0.06. Management attributed the performance to a robust 19% growth in order momentum as fourth quarter organic orders increased 252% year-over-year. While the growth was driven by orders from the Americas region, management noted the order growth to be spread across regions, technologies, and customers.

​Looking ahead, management aims to deliver FQ1 2026 net sales in the range of $2.5 billion – $2.7 billion, with adjusted operating profits in the range of $475 million – $515 million.

​Vertiv Holdings Co (NYSE:VRT) is a global provider of digital infrastructure technology and services for data centers, communication networks, and commercial and industrial facilities.

​1. Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX)

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) is one of the Best Stocks to Buy and Hold For the Next 3 Years. On February 18, Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) announced signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Indonesia to extend its mining operations at the high-value Grasberg minerals district indefinitely, based on the site’s resource lifespan.

​Management noted that this agreement extends long-term access of its subsidiary, PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI), to one of the world’s largest copper and gold deposits. The terms of the agreement note that PTFI will increase its community investment and will fund a new hospital and two medical training facilities.

​Moreover, as part of this MoU, Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) retains 48.76% ownership in PTFI through 2041, after which the company will transfer 12% to the government at book value. Richard C. Adkerson, Chairman of the Board, noted:

​“We value our long-standing partnership with the Indonesian government, the people of Indonesia and Papua, and the mutual trust that has been built over many years. The Grasberg operations have provided substantial benefits to all stakeholders over their six-decade history, and this extension will provide opportunities to continue to build substantial value for all stakeholders in one of the world’s most significant copper and gold deposits.”

​Freeport-McMoRan Inc. (NYSE:FCX) is involved in the mining of copper, molybdenum, and gold. The company’s operations are divided into the following segments: North America Copper Mines, South America Operations, Indonesia Operations, Molybdenum Mines, Rod and Refining, Atlantic Copper Smelting and Refining, and Corporate and Other.

While we acknowledge the potential of FCX to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than FCX and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

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