Top 10 Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term

In this article, we will look at the Top 10 Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term.

​On June 9, the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Index fell by around 2.4% and 3.6%, respectively. The slight sell-off has resurfaced the concerns of a market bubble ready to burst. To discuss market moves, Adam Coons, Chief Investment Officer at Winthrop Capital Management, appeared on a Schwab network interview on June 11. Adam noted that the market reaction was a healthy pullback. He elaborated that the AI trade over the past couple of weeks, before the pullback, had run a little too fast, and it’s healthy to see the market correcting itself.

​Adam noted that over this phase, where we are trying to figure out the winners and losers of the AI trade, the market continues to correct itself. For instance, Adam noted Oracle as a great sign that the market can identify when a stock is running up really fast and getting ahead of itself. On the other hand, stronger players such as Alphabet (Google) have sustained their tremendous run on the basis of vertically integrated models. Adam acknowledged that even good companies, including Nvidia and Apple, have witnessed pullbacks despite above-expectation earnings. He elaborated that as the valuations of the big tech names move higher, the margin of error diminishes. He advised investors to look at the long-term picture in figuring out which stocks are going to turn out as winners of this AI trade.

​With that, let’s take a look at the list of Top 10 Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term.

Top 10 Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term

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Our Methodology

We sifted through financial media reports to compile a list of stocks widely discussed for their long-term potential, 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. Insider Monkey’s quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 599.2% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 372 percentage points (see more details here).

​Top 10 Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term

​10. CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 79

CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) has gained more than 17.5% over the past 30 days. Much of these gains are driven by record net new annual recurring revenue of $256 million in fiscal Q1 2027, driven by increased AI-driven security demand. CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) is one of our Top Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term.

​Recently, on June 11, Piper Sandler reiterated an Overweight rating on the stock with a $750 price target. Piper Sandler met with the company’s CFO and VP of Investor Relations in Toronto. The conversation covered several growth drivers, including pipeline momentum, demand trends, and key products like Falcon Flex and identity and endpoint security solutions. A major theme was the impact of Mythos and Project Glasswing on customer demand. The firm noted these initiatives appear to be driving a meaningful shift in how organizations prioritize and spend on cybersecurity.

​As a result, the firm came back more confident in CrowdStrike’s ability to capitalize on the market opportunity, describing Mythos as creating a “step-function change” in security prioritization among customers.

​That said, during the fiscal Q1 2026 earnings reported on June 4, CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) reported revenue of $1.39 billion, beating the estimates of $1.36 billion. The adjusted EPS of $1.10 also surpassed the expectations of $1.07. Notably, management raised the fiscal year 2027 net new ARR growth guidance by 520 basis points at the midpoint, reflecting accelerating demand for AI-native security solutions.

CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) is a technology company that offers cybersecurity solutions through its unified platform and a SaaS subscription-based model.

​9. Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 87

Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) ranks among our Top Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term. Wall Street expects more than 19.8% upside from the current level. Recently, on June 12, Truist raised the firm’s price target on Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) from $129 to $134 and maintained a Hold rating on the shares.

​The firm noted the update in price target to be part of its broader preview of the travel and leisure companies. Truist sees a generally encouraging spending backdrop for US leisure travel, particularly in mass-market destinations like Orlando, with strength expected through Q2 to Q4. Notably, the firm noted that the travel outlook improves as in today’s K-shaped economy, where wealthier consumers continue to spend freely while lower-income groups remain under pressure.

​That said, during the fiscal Q1 2026 earnings, reported on May 8, Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) reported revenue of $2.68 billion, surpassing the estimate of $2.62 billion. However, the adjusted EPS of $0.26 missed the expectation of $0.31. Management noted the Nights and Experiences Booked to be key drivers of growth as it grew 9% year-over-year to 156.2 million.

Moreover, the Gross Booking Value also improved 19% during the same time to $29.2 billion, driven by resilient travel demand and pricing strength.

​Management has raised the full-year 2026 revenue growth outlook to the low-to-mid teens and projects Q2 revenue between the range of $3.54 billion and $3.60 billion.

Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) manages and operates an online marketplace for rooms, which connects hosts and guests online. The company is based in San Francisco, California and was founded in 2007 by Brian Chesky, Nathan Blecharczyk, and Joseph Gebbia.

​8. Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 88

Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) has gained more than 11% over the past month, mainly driven by a major $5 billion share repurchase authorization and strong fiscal Q1 2026 results. The stock ranks eighth among our Top Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term.

​Wall Street is also generally bullish on Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) as 73% of the 52 analysts covering the stock maintain a Buy rating on the stock. Moreover, the 12-month average analyst price target suggests more than 38.5% upside from the current level.

​During the fiscal Q1 2026 earnings reported last month, the company reported revenue of $3.17 billion, surpassing estimates of $3.09 billion. The adjusted EPS of $0.36 also topped projections of $0.33. Management noted that the gross merchandise volume reached $100.7 billion, reflecting 35% year-over-year growth and also marking the second quarter of exceeding the $100 billion mark. The growth was attributed to broad-based performance across all geographies.

​Following the release, on May 28, UBS reiterated a Hold rating on the stock and maintained a price target of $130. The firm highlighted that Shopify’s POS segment accounts for around 12% of gross merchandise volume. UBS believes this could grow to nearly 20% by 2035, making it an increasingly important part of the company’s growth story. Moreover, UBS expects POS to contribute 300-500 basis points to Shopify’s 10-year GMV growth rate and 100-200 basis points to gross profit growth.

​Earlier on May 20, Piper Sandler reiterated a Buy rating on Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) with a price target of $150. The firm noted encouraging product adoption trends and a recovery in business momentum. Piper Sandler highlighted that a standout data point is Sidekick, Shopify’s AI assistant. The firm noted that usage of the assistant is up 100% to 200% among expert merchants, and reflects that the tool is delivering real value.

Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) operates as a commerce technology company. The company offers tools to run, start, market, and scale businesses of different sizes globally. It is also involved in the sale of themes and apps, advertising on the Shopify App Store, point-of-sale hardware, shipping labels through Shopify Shipping, and Shop Campaigns for buyer acquisitions.

​7. Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 103

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) is among our Top Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term. Recently, on June 12, Bank of America Securities analyst Travis Steed lowered the firm’s price target on Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) from $520 to $515, while maintaining a Buy rating on the shares.

​The analyst noted that the adjustment in the price target is based on a more cautious stance for the broader sector heading into 2027. The firm’s services team has flagged a lower utilization environment, which suggests that medical procedures using robotic systems may come in below expectations. Steed has also factored in inflation as a headwind for 2027 and expects it to limit margin expansion across the broader medtech sector.

​Notably, the analyst highlighted that the valuations of the medtech sector already reflect some of this utilization risk; this is why he has lowered price targets now rather than later.

​Overall, the Street’s 12-month average price target suggests roughly 40% upside from the current levels.

Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG) engages in the development, manufacturing, and marketing of da Vinci surgical systems and Ion endoluminal system.

​6. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 170

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares have declined following important AI-related announcements at the WWDC 2026 conference. The falling investor sentiment comes as the company was not able to meet AI advancement expectations. However, the Street sees the conference as a meaningful step for Apple. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is also one of our Top Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term.

​Recently, on June 9, Maxim raised the price target on the stock from $310 to $350 and reiterated a Buy rating. Maxim noted meaningful progress in the company’s AI efforts. The firm noted that the enhanced version of Siri is set for beta launch later this year, which is a positive sign.

​On the same day, Bernstein SocGen also reiterated an Outperform rating and $350 price target. The firm noted that a key revelation from WWDC was that Apple’s next-generation Foundation Models were built in collaboration with Google, using its Gemini technology. This powers Apple Intelligence, running both on-device and via Private Cloud Compute. Bernstein flagged the conference as the first meaningful step towards AI monetization.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) designs, manufactures, and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables, and home accessories. The company develops its own operating systems (iOS, macOS) and provides digital services, including iCloud, Apple Pay, and content streaming through the App Store and Apple TV+.

While we acknowledge the potential of AAPL 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 AAPL and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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