On December 16, Julian Emanuel, Senior Managing Director at Evercore ISI, shared his outlook on the equity market and the ongoing influence of AI. When asked if the market can continue to climb despite recent turbulence in AI infrastructure and software, Emanuel acknowledged that the market is currently in a digestion phase. He characterized these periods as air pockets and noted that the most recent dip centers on concerns regarding debt financing for the extensive AI build-out. Still, he remains optimistic regarding the positive trend of greater AI adoption and highlighted consumer discretionary companies as examples of firms successfully using AI to increase revenue and manage costs.
Emanuel also admitted that high valuations may lead to a volatile year in 2026, similar to the experience of 2025. Despite this, he argued that there are no apparent economic headwinds currently visible that would typically derail a bull market. He conceded that there is an enormous fog surrounding current data, but expects the market to feel better once new data is released, provided it remains within expected ranges. Consequently, he remains confident in the underlying stability of the economy despite the current lack of traditional data visibility.
That being said, we’re here with a long-term stock portfolio: 10 best stocks for the next decade.
Our Methodology
We sifted through financial media reports and ETFs to compile a list of popular, blue-chip, and wide-moat stocks. From that, we picked stocks with an expected EPS growth rate of at least 15% over the next 3-5 years and that are popular among elite hedge funds and analysts. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q3 2025.
Note: All data was sourced on December 26.
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).
Long-Term Stock Portfolio: 10 Best Stocks for the Next Decade
10. Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ:SYM)
EPS Forward Long Term Growth (3-5 Year CAGR): 30.00%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 21
Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ:SYM) is one of the best stocks for the next decade. On December 3, TD Cowen raised the firm’s price target on Symbotic to $75 from $50 and maintained a Buy rating on the shares. While the firm acknowledged that the stock’s valuation has become stretched following the earnings report, the underlying results support the core bullish thesis. The quarter showcased significant milestones, like the acquisition of a major customer in a new market and acceleration in deployment timelines.
In FY2025, Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ:SYM) achieved a revenue increase of 26%, with FQ4 revenue rising 7.23% year-over-year to $618.46 million. However, the company also reported a net loss of $19 million in the quarter, which was a shift from the $16 million net income recorded in FQ4 2024. Still, the company’s EPS for FQ4 totaled $0.58, which exceeded guidance by $0.50.
A major milestone in FQ4 was the signing of Medline, which marked Symbotic’s official entry into the healthcare vertical. Additionally, the company is nearing completion of its first GreenBox site in Atlanta, which is a warehouse-as-a-service venture that has garnered significant customer interest. For FQ1 2026, Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ:SYM) issued revenue guidance between $610 and $630 million, representing growth of 25% to 29%. Management indicated that revenue growth may be less pronounced in H1 2026 as the company transitions to its next-gen storage designs.
Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ:SYM) is an automation technology company that develops technologies to enhance operating efficiencies in modern warehouses.
9. Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)
EPS Forward Long Term Growth (3-5 Year CAGR): 22.55%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 61
Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) is one of the best stocks for the next decade. On December 12, Morgan Stanley raised the firm’s price target on Gilead to $151 from $147 with an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm informed investors that the regulatory and political uncertainties currently weighing on biopharma are expected to subside. As these policy overhangs fade, Morgan Stanley anticipates a shift in market attention back to the industry’s core financial and operational performance.
Later, on December 15, Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) announced positive topline results from its Phase 3 ARTISTRY-2 clinical trial. The study demonstrated that an investigational once-daily, single-tablet regimen combining bictegravir (75 mg) and lenacapavir (50 mg), referred to as BIC/LEN, is statistically non-inferior to the current standard-of-care, BIKTARVY. This trial focused on virologically suppressed adults with HIV-1 who switched from BIKTARVY to the new combination, meeting the primary efficacy endpoint of maintaining HIV-1 RNA levels below 50 copies/mL at Week 48
Gilead plans to use the results from ARTISTRY-2 alongside data from the ARTISTRY-1 trialwhich announced similar non-inferiority results in November, as the foundation for upcoming regulatory submissions. The company aims to present detailed findings at a future scientific congress. These advancements represent a significant step in Gilead’s 35-year history of HIV innovation, potentially offering a new, simplified treatment option for the millions of people living with the virus globally.
Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, and commercializes medicines in the areas of unmet medical need in the US, Europe, and internationally.
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