3 Health Stocks to Own for the Next 10 Years

When it comes to stocks, we like playing the long game: picking solid companies, sticking with them through tough times and hanging on for years, even a decade or more.

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When it comes to stocks, we like playing the long game: picking solid companies, sticking with them through tough times and hanging on for years, even a decade or more. Investing for the long haul can smooth out the risks of buying individual stocks, which may tumble or stay depressed for ages before taking off.

The following three health-focused companies possess attractive long-range prospects: Each should be able to expand its sales and profits at rates well above the market average for years. (Read 10 Great Stocks for the Next 10 Years to learn about seven more picks outside the health sector.)

Investing for the next decade doesn’t mean you can buy these stocks then forget about them. You’ll need to follow them closely and may have to sell if cracks emerge in the business. Still, if these health companies can keep building on their recent successes, they have a good shot at delivering superb returns over the long run.

Disclaimer

Stocks are listed alphabetically. Share prices and other data are as of September 14. Price-earnings ratios are based on estimated year-ahead earnings

Daren Fonda
Senior Associate Editor, Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Daren joined Kiplinger in July 2015 after spending more than 20 years in New York City as a business and financial writer. He spent seven years at Time magazine and joined SmartMoney in 2007, where he wrote about investing and contributed car reviews to the magazine. Daren also worked as a writer in the fund industry for Janus Capital and Fidelity Investments and has been licensed as a Series 7 securities representative.