10 Set-It-and-Forget-It Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media

Published February 11, 2023 at 11:35 am EST Updated August 19, 2026 at 9:22 am EDT

In this article, we take a look at 10 set-it-and-forget-it stocks to buy according to financial media.

Some stocks of leading companies are forever stocks in the eyes of many in the financial media.

Those set-it-and-forget-it stocks have substantial scale and are very well known.

They have been around for a while and they very likely will be around for a long time in the future too.

Some of the leading companies rank among America’s leading banks and thus are very important in terms of the American economy and the future of American growth. If America does well and those leading banks maintain their market share, those leading banks will likely do well in the long term.

Some of the leading companies are what the financial media regards as ‘Big Tech’. Those companies are huge profitable companies with substantial resources.

Many of those big tech companies are also leaders in AI since they are the ones with the computing power, data, and financial resources.

Companies like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) are currently in an AI war, for instance. Late last year, OpenAI launched its ChatGPT AI chatbot which has offered substantial utility to many users even if it makes mistakes. Microsoft Corporation previously invested $1 billion into OpenAI in 2019 and the company agreed to invest another $10 billion in 2023.

Furthermore, Microsoft Corporation is planning to incorporate ChatGPT into Bing to potentially gain market share from Alphabet Inc.’s Google.

In response, Alphabet Inc.’s Google is planning on launching multiple AI products this year, including its own AI search tool, Bard. Although Bard also makes mistakes, both will improve over time as the technology advances.

Given its leading market share in cloud computing, Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) likely will help power the computer processing of many AI applications in the future. Companies like Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) have invested substantial amounts into AI technologies and will likely have new AI incorporated products and services of their own in the future as well.

Some other leading companies that the financial media likes are leading consumer staple conglomerates such as The Procter & Gamble Company and Johnson & Johnson that have long histories of increasing their annual dividends through multiple recessions.

While the set-it-and-forget-it leading companies in the market have compelling qualities in the long term, they still have downside if the economy worsens or if their results do not meet expectations. As a result, it could be a good idea for long term investors to own a well diversified portfolio of leading stocks across many different sectors.

Photo by Bryan Angelo on Unsplash

Methodology

For our list of 10 Set-It-and-Forget-It Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media, we selected the stocks that have been highly regarded by the financial media as stocks that could do well in the long term.

For those of you interested, check out 15 Stocks That Have Increased Their Dividends for Over 25 Years.

10 Set-It-and-Forget-It Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media

10. Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $125.73 billion

Although it isn’t one of the big four biggest American banks, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) is Wall Street’s most prestigious investment bank. As a result, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is viewed by many in the financial media as the leading bank to the world’s rich and powerful. Being a leading bank to the rich and powerful can be a pretty good business to be in the long term even if Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. employees are very well paid. In the last ten years, the stock of the leading investment bank has more than doubled. As of February 10, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. also has a dividend yield of 2.69%.

Alongside Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corporation, and Apple Inc., Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is a set-it-and-forget-it stock to buy according to financial media.

9. Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $285.44 billion

Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC) is one of the ‘big four’ American banks with a market capitalization of $285.44 billion, ranking #9 on our list of 10 Set-It-and-Forget-It Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media. Given its scale and importance in the financial sector, many in the financial media view big banks like Bank of America Corporation as systematically important. Although being systemically important doesn’t mean good returns, Bank of America Corporation nevertheless does also have substantial normalized earnings power and management is returning capital back to shareholders with a dividend yield of 2.47% as of 2/10. On average, analysts expect the bank to earn $3.12 per share for 2022, $3.48 per share in 2023, $3.76 per share in 2024, and $4.23 per share in 2025.

8. The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $326.18 billion

The Procter & Gamble Company is viewed by many in the financial media as a Dividend Aristocrat or a stock that has raised its annual dividend for at least 25 straight years. In terms of its dividend, The Procter & Gamble Company has actually raised its annual dividend for 67 straight years, meaning the leading consumer staple has been financially strong enough to increase payouts through multiple recessions. Although higher inflation has been a headwind for demand for The Procter & Gamble Company recently, the company has long term earnings power if inflation normalizes.

7. JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $413.70 billion

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is regarded by many in the financial media as one of America’s best big banks given the company’s strong profitability and arguably great CEO in Jamie Dimon. Like Bank of America Corporation, JPMorgan Chase & Co. is a systemically important institution, giving it more importance in the media. Although an economic slowdown or recession could decrease earnings in the near term, JPMorgan Chase & Co. has long term EPS growth potential given its earnings power and eventual stock buybacks which could begin as early as this year.

6. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $423.94 billion

Johnson & Johnson is viewed by the financial media as another leading Dividend Aristocrat that has increased its annual dividend for at least 25 consecutive years. In Johnson & Johnson’s case, the healthcare conglomerate has actually increased its annual dividend 61 consecutive years. Although shares of the stock are down 5.45% in the last year, Johnson & Johnson increased its full year 2022 sales by 1.3% year over year to $94.9 billion and adjusted diluted earnings per share rose 3.6% year over year to $10.15 per share. Shares currently trade for a forward P/E of 14.84, which could be attractive in terms of the long term if the conglomerate maintains its market share.

Like Johnson & Johnson, Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corporation, and Apple Inc. are set-it-and-forget-it stocks to buy according to financial media.

5. Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $451.51 billion

Meta Platforms, Inc. is viewed by the financial media as the leading social media giant that’s also one of the ‘big tech’ companies. Although the market has not liked how Meta Platforms, Inc. has spent tens of billions of dollars on the metaverse without much to show for it, the stock could be a pretty good long term investment if the company retains its huge userbase and if it achieves its potential in terms of AI. In terms of artificial intelligence, Meta Platforms, Inc. has hired hundred of the top AI researchers in the world and the company has invested substantial capital into developing the technology for almost a decade.

ClearBridge Investments commented on Meta Platforms, Inc. in a Q3 2022 investor letter,

We initiated a new position in Meta Platforms, Inc., in the communication services sector, which operates the Facebook and Instagram social media platforms and is a leading digital advertising provider. We have been carefully watching the company over the last few quarters and believe headwinds from lower monetizing in Facebook and Instagram Reels and pressures from consumer privacy measures are poised to lessen. We believe the company has begun to fully acclimate to this new environment, will achieve greater effectiveness in Reels monetization and find ways to adapt to new privacy standards which will rebound advertising efficiency. Combined with a greater focus on cost control, we believe these initiatives will help contribute to further margin expansion and leave the company well-positioned moving forward.

4. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $1 trillion

Amazon.com, Inc. is viewed by many in the financial media as a big tech company that is both a leading e-commerce company and a leading cloud computing leader. Given both are still growth sectors, Amazon.com, Inc. has earnings growth potential in the long term if it maintains its market share. Considering its leadership in cloud computing, Amazon.com, Inc. is one of the better positioned companies to benefit from increasing AI adoption among corporations and startups as it would likely lead to more demand for cloud computing overall.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, Amazon Web Services grew sales 20% year over year and generated $21.4 billion in sales. Operating income for Amazon’s cloud business was $5.2 billion.

3. Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $1.21 trillion

Alphabet Inc. is viewed as a big tech company that has a lot of AI potential given its substantial financial resources and world class employees. While Microsoft Corporation could gain more market share from Alphabet Inc. in search in the near term, the battle between the two is viewed as a battle between two heavyweights. As it stands, Alphabet Inc. is indeed a heavy weight and perhaps arguably still the leading company in AI given its substantial investments in the technology over the past decade.

Although it could lose market share in the near term, Alphabet Inc. does have earnings growth potential if it maintains its leadership in AI in the future. Maintaining leadership requires data and smarts and Alphabet Inc. arguably has both. Alphabet Inc. will need to successfully utilize its data and smarts to develop profitable services, however, that can match or exceed market profit estimates for the future.

2. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $1.96 trillion

Given ChatGPT’s popularity in recent months, many in the financial media view Microsoft Corporation as a software giant that also has AI technology given it is the backer of OpenAI which makes ChatGPT. With Microsoft Corporation planning to incorporate ChatGPT into Bing, there is potential for the company to gain more market share in the lucrative market of search even if ChatGPT makes many mistakes. If AI is indeed a big part of the future and Microsoft Corporation succeeds in maintaining substantial market share in AI, the company could have long term upside.

1. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Market Capitalization as of 2/10: $2.39 trillion

Apple Inc. is viewed by many in the financial media as a leading maker of iPhones and a branding expert that’s also one of the big tech companies. Given Apple Inc.’s share of the lucrative high end smartphone market, the company is indeed one of the best marketing companies in the world. Given its market capitalization of $2.39 trillion, Apple Inc. ranks #1 on our list of 10 Set-It-and-Forget-It Stocks to Buy According to Financial Media.

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