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Before yesterdayCompounding Quality

10 Stocks for the next 20 years

13 August 2026 at 14:44

Hi Partner πŸ‘‹

Welcome to the third edition of our 10 Stocks for the next 20 Years series.

You already received two parts:

Today it’s time for Arka’s selection.

Let’s dive in right away!

Compounding Quality Team: TJ (top left), Arka (bottom left), Willem (bottom center), Jochen (bottom right), Pieter (top center), Milan (top right), and Liesbeth (right).

Built to last

At first glance, this challenge sounds very simple.

Just find 10 great companies and hold them for the next 20 years.

But history tells something different.

Do you remember the 20 biggest companies 20 years ago?

Here they are:

A lot of these are probably very familiar names.

But how many do you think are still in the top 20 today?

Here’s the list as of today:

The number of companies that made both lists?

Only 6 (!):

  • Microsoft

  • Walmart

  • Intel

  • Exxon Mobil

  • Johnson & Johnson

  • Cisco Systems

Companies like Coca-Cola and Home Depot are still exceptional businesses today.

However, they no longer make the list.

Something sets these six companies apart.

They have shown the resilience to weather the challenges of the past two decades.

So what do these companies have in common?

It’s not a single factor, it’s a combination of:

  • A strong moat

  • Strong management

  • Healthy balance sheet

  • Excellent capital allocation

  • Continuous adoption to changing environments

It goes back to the basic foundation of our stock selection.

You should remember that finding a stock for the next 20 years is not about buying a good company.

It is about finding a business that can keep adapting and winning for decades.

Our job is to find those few great businesses, buy them and forget about it for the next 10 years.

Now let’s jump into my top picks.

10. Ferrari ($RACE)

How does Ferrari make money?

Ferrari builds fancy sports cars and sells fewer than people want to buy. It also makes money from racing, clothing, and spare parts.

Source: Company Presentation

Why will it still be relevant in 20 years?

  • Ferrari is not a car company. It’s a luxury company.

  • Rich people keep getting richer. They want things nobody else can have.

  • Ferrari makes fewer cars than current demand (supply < demand)

9. Old Dominion Freight Line ($ODFL)

How does ODFL make money?

Old Dominion is a top American trucking company that specializes in less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping.

This means they combine freight from different customers onto a single truck.

They run over 260 service centers across North America.

Source: Company Presentation

Why will it still be relevant in 20 years?

  • Moving physical items will always be necessary

  • It is nearly impossible for new competitors to copy their billion dollar network

  • They are the best at what they do

8. Thermo Fisher Scientific ($TMO)

How does Thermo Fisher make money?

Thermo Fisher Scientific is the world leader in serving science and healthcare.

The American company provides analytical instruments, laboratory equipment, clinical diagnostics, and drug manufacturing services.

They sell necessary equipment to the entire global biotechnology and research industry.

Source: Company Presentation

Why will it still be relevant in 20 years?

  • Scientific research and the fight against diseases never stop

  • They sell the picks and shovels for all biotech breakthroughs

  • Massive regulatory switching costs protect their business

7. Applied Materials ($AMAT)

How does Applied Materials make money?

Applied Materials is the global leader in semiconductor equipment and engineering software.

They provide the highly specialized manufacturing systems, machines, and materials used to produce nearly every new computer chip and advanced display in the world.

This American company operates at the absolute ground floor of global technology.

Source: Company Presentation

Why will it still be relevant in 20 years?

  • Microchips are the foundation of the future

  • They supply the machinery to all chipmakers

  • Atomic-scale engineering cannot be easily copied

6. Schneider Electric ($SU)

How does Schneider Electric make money?

Schneider Electric is a French multinational company that is a global leader in energy management and industrial automation.

They provide the electrical infrastructure, hardware, software, and services required to run homes, factories, and cities efficiently.

They have a massive network operating in over 100 countries

Source: Company Presentation

Why will it still be relevant in 20 years?

  • The massive shift toward electrification is permanent

  • AI and data centers have a bottomless thirst for electricity

  • Buildings and factories must become highly energy-efficient

5. Xylem ($XYL)

How does Xylem make money?

Xylem is a leading global water technology provider.

They designs and manufacture specialized equipment for transporting, treating, testing, and efficiently managing water across municipal, industrial, and residential markets.

This American company has a network spread across the globe.

Source: Company Presentation

Why will it still be relevant in 20 years?

  • Clean water is a permanent global necessity

  • Aging infrastructure requires massive ongoing upgrades

  • The rise of smart water networks protects their position

4. ASML ($ASML)

How does ASML make money?

ASML is a Dutch company that makes some of the world’s most important machines for the semiconductor industry.

They are the only company in the world that can build Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines.

This technology is critical to produce the most advanced chips found in smartphones, AI systems, and high-performance computers.

Source: Company Website

Why will it still be relevant in 20 years?

  • They hold an absolute global monopoly on advanced chipmaking

  • The complexity of their machinery is nearly impossible to copy

  • They sit at the center of the permanent global tech expansion

Now let’s dive in the top 3.

Read more

🏰 4 Stocks You Should Look Into

10 March 2026 at 14:44

It’s #QualityTuesday!

In this series, I’ll teach you 5 things about the stock market in less than 5 minutes.

Subscribe now

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1️⃣ Portfolio Update

Yesterday we gave an exclusive webinar covering the following topics:

πŸ“Š General market update
πŸ“ˆ Portfolio update
πŸ”Ž 4 stocks we’re looking into today (and you should too)

You can watch it for free:

Download the recording

2️⃣ The 3-Level Moat Check

Not all moats are the same.

Some are wider than others.

Here are 3 different levels of moat:

  • Level 1 - Convenience moat: Customers stay because it’s easy.

  • Level 2 - Economic moat: Customers stay because switching costs money.

  • Level 3 - Structural moat: Customers stay because there is no real alternative.

You should focus on Level 2 and Level 3 Moats.

3️⃣ One simple investment quote

Diversification is a double edged sword.

The more experience you have, the less diversification makes sense.

Just listen to Warren Buffett:

4️⃣ Investing for Growth

Do you know Terry Smith? He’s a well-known quality investor.

His strategy is simple:

  1. Buy good companies

  2. Don’t overpay

  3. Do nothing (hold for the long term)

Learn the essentials of his investment strategy via this e-book:

Investing for Growth

5️⃣ Stock Pitch: Auto Partner ($APR)

How does the company make money?
Auto Partner is a Polish distributor of car parts. They make money by selling spare parts, tools, and accessories to garages and repair shops. The company benefits from steady demand, since people need to keep their cars running no matter the economy.

Auto Partner can be seen as β€˜the Polish Autozone’.

The company is cheap and has a strong track record in creating shareholder value.

Here are some fundamentals:

  • Net Debt/EBITDA: 1.6x

  • Net Income Margin: 4.8%

  • ROIC: 17.5%

  • Forward PE: 9.7x

  • CAGR Since IPO (2016): 23.1%

Source: Fiscal.ai:

Everything in life compounds
Pieter (Compounding Quality)
PS You are not a Partner of Compounding Quality yet? Discover everything you need to know here.

Book

  • Order your copy of The Art of Quality Investing here

Used sources

Disclaimer

As a reader of Compounding Quality, you agree to our disclaimer. You can read the full disclaimer here.

🏰 Q&A Webinar

3 March 2026 at 14:26

It’s #QualityTuesday!

In this series, I’ll teach you 5 things about the stock market in less than 5 minutes.

Subscribe now

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1️⃣ The Power of Return on Capital

Most investors focus on revenue growth.

Smart investors focus on return on capital.

That’s because a company that earns high returns on capital can grow faster than a company with lower returns.

What to look for:

  • ROIC…

Read more

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