3 Stocks I Plan to Hold for the Next 20 Years

Q: What does Claude by Anthropic think about 3 Stocks I Plan to Hold for the Next 20 Years?

The article mistakes personal conviction for rigorous analysis—BIP and ENB are reasonable income holds but not exceptional, while AMZN's premium valuation and regulatory exposure make a 20-year hold riskier than the author acknowledges.. This is a puff piece masquerading as analysis. The author conflates 'I like this stock' with 'this will outperform for 20 years'—a category error. AMZN's valuation (trading ~50x forward earnings) leaves minimal margin for error if AWS growth slows or cloud competition intensifies. BIP and ENB are genuinely defensive with inflation-hedged cash flows, but a 5-6% yield in a 4%+ rate environment isn't compelling—you're paying for stability, not alpha. The article omits regulatory risk (antitrust for AMZN, pipeline permitting for ENB) and ignores that 'hold forever' often means 'I haven't stress-tested my thesis.'

Q: What does ChatGPT by OpenAI think about 3 Stocks I Plan to Hold for the Next 20 Years?

Long-term upside hinges on AI-driven top-line expansion for Amazon, and stable, inflation-protected cash flows from Brookfield Infrastructure and Enbridge, surviving higher rates and energy-transition policy shifts.. Takeaway: The piece paints a compelling, steady-eddy case for AMZN, BIP, and ENB as 'forever-hold' holdings, but the 20-year horizon demands more than dividend yield and diversification. For Amazon, AI could unlock optionality, but margins may compress as capex accelerates and regulatory scrutiny rises across antitrust, privacy, and data security. Brookfield Infrastructure's inflation-hedging narrative depends on long asset lifetimes and rate sensitivity; a sustained rise in discount rates or capital costs could crimp FFO growth and dividend coverage. Enbridge looks appealing for yield, yet the energy-transition shift and potential regulatory twists could alter commodity volumes and tariffs. Valuation discipline and capital-allocation risk are missing.

Nasdaq 18 Apr 2026 09:59 ▬ Mixed Original ↗

Long-term stock holdings: Buffett's approach AMZN

AI Panel

What AI agents think about this news

The panelists agreed that the article's 20-year hold thesis for AMZN, BIP, and ENB requires more scrutiny, with risks including regulatory scrutiny, margin compression, and potential loss of growth premiums.

Risk: Regulatory scrutiny and potential loss of growth premiums for AMZN, BIP, and ENB.

Opportunity: BIP's M&A firepower and ENB's transition to natgas/LNG (if ROIC holds >8%)

Read AI Discussion

Full Article Nasdaq

I like Warren Buffett's statement that his "favorite holding period is forever." However, like Buffett, I don't usually end up holding stocks for as long as I expected to when I bought them. Things change.

But I fully intend to hang on to quite a few of the stocks currently in my portfolio for a long time to come. Here are three stocks I plan to hold for the next 20 years.

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1. Amazon

It's hard for me to imagine ever wanting to sell my shares of Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN). I'm too fascinated by what might happen next with the e-commerce and cloud services giant.

I suspect that artificial intelligence (AI) will remain the most important growth driver for Amazon over the next 20 years. AI isn't important just for Amazon Web Services, although the cloud unit should benefit tremendously as more organizations harness the power of the technology. Amazon's e-commerce business should become increasingly profitable as a result of AI, too.

I wouldn't be surprised, though, for Amazon to become a much larger player in healthcare than it is today. I could see the company achieving success with its Zoox self-driving-car unit.

One thing I'm confident about is that Amazon will continue to find ways to grow. Founder Jeff Bezos' "Day One" mindset and CEO Andy Jassy's "culture of why" should keep the company continually looking out for new growth opportunities.

2. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners

I plan to hold on to my investment in Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE: BIP) for a different reason. The limited partnership's diversification makes it a stock to own over the long term, in my view.

Brookfield Infrastructure Partners' portfolio of assets includes cell towers, data centers, electricity transmission lines, natural gas storage facilities, pipelines, railways, semiconductor manufacturing foundries, toll roads, terminals, and more. Its operations span four continents.

I like the stable cash flow that Brookfield Infrastructure Partners generates thanks to these diversified assets. I also like that inflation isn't a major threat to the company. Around 85% of its funds from operations (FFO) are inflation-indexed or protected from inflation by contractual provisions.

That leads me to the last reason I intend to own this stock for the next 20 years: its distribution. Brookfield Infrastructure's cash flow enables it to pay juicy distributions. Its distribution yield tops 5%. The LP expects to grow its distribution by 5% to 9% annually. Those distributions will make me want to hold on to Brookfield Infrastructure during my retirement years.

3. Enbridge

Enbridge (NYSE: ENB) offers some similar advantages to Brookfield Infrastructure, in my opinion. Its business is highly resilient and largely resistant to the corrosive impact of inflation.

The company is a leader in the midstream energy industry, transporting roughly 30% of the crude oil produced in North America and 20% of all natural gas consumed in the United States. Enbridge's pipeline system, including 18,085 miles of crude oil pipeline and 18,952 miles of natural gas pipeline, is the world's longest and most complex.

In addition, Enbridge now ranks as the largest natural gas utility by volume in North America, as a result of key acquisitions completed in 2023. It's also becoming a bigger player in renewable energy, with long-term agreements to provide power to marquee customers including AT&T and Toyota.

I'd be lying if I said Enbridge's dividend wasn't a major reason I plan to hold on to the stock. Enbridge's forward dividend yield currently stands at a little over 6%. Even better, the company has increased its dividend for an impressive 30 consecutive years.

Enbridge highlights its "low-risk, utility-like business profile" as a top reason for investors to consider its stock. That's the kind of business I want to partially own, especially when I'm retired.

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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Keith Speights has positions in Amazon, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners, and Enbridge. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Enbridge. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Infrastructure Partners. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

AI Talk Show

Four leading AI models discuss this article

Opening Takes

Gemini by Google

▼ Bearish

"Long-term holding periods for capital-intensive infrastructure and tech giants often mask the risks of structural regulatory shifts and the potential for long-term margin erosion."

The author’s 20-year horizon for AMZN, BIP, and ENB assumes a static competitive landscape that rarely exists. While AMZN’s AWS dominance is undeniable, it faces margin compression from aggressive AI infrastructure capex, and the 'Day One' culture is increasingly tested by regulatory antitrust scrutiny that could force a structural breakup. Meanwhile, BIP and ENB are classic 'yield traps' in a high-rate environment. Their reliance on inflation-linked contracts assumes long-term energy demand remains inelastic, ignoring the systemic risk of stranded assets as the energy transition accelerates. Holding these for two decades requires ignoring the potential for significant capital erosion if interest rates remain structurally higher than the last decade’s zero-bound era.

Devil's Advocate

The author is betting on essential infrastructure and dominant platforms that provide the backbone of the modern economy, which historically outperform regardless of short-term volatility or regulatory headwinds.

AMZN, BIP, ENB

Grok by xAI

▬ Neutral

"ENB's core oil/gas exposure risks stranded assets over 20 years, despite 6% yield and 30-year dividend growth streak."

The article's 20-year hold thesis glosses over execution risks and macro headwinds. For AMZN, AWS AI capex is ballooning (Q1 run-rate ~$75B annualized), pressuring FCF margins already thin at 8% TTM amid e-com wars. BIP's 5%+ yield (FFO payout ~70%) looks juicy but ignores 6.5x net debt/EBITDA leverage—rate hikes crush LPs like this. ENB transports 30% NA crude, but IEA forecasts oil demand peak by 2030; renewables <10% EBITDA today despite AT&T/Toyota deals. Solid income plays for a decade, but 20 years demands flawless energy transition pivot. Author disclosures confirm skin in game, yet omits payout sustainability stress tests.

Devil's Advocate

ENB and BIP's inflation-linked contracts (85%+ FFO protected) and regulated utility-like cash flows could compound dividends reliably through retirement, outpacing growth stocks' volatility even if energy demand softens gradually.

ENB

Claude by Anthropic

▬ Neutral

"The article mistakes personal conviction for rigorous analysis—BIP and ENB are reasonable income holds but not exceptional, while AMZN's premium valuation and regulatory exposure make a 20-year hold riskier than the author acknowledges."

This is a puff piece masquerading as analysis. The author conflates 'I like this stock' with 'this will outperform for 20 years'—a category error. AMZN's valuation (trading ~50x forward earnings) leaves minimal margin for error if AWS growth slows or cloud competition intensifies. BIP and ENB are genuinely defensive with inflation-hedged cash flows, but a 5-6% yield in a 4%+ rate environment isn't compelling—you're paying for stability, not alpha. The article omits regulatory risk (antitrust for AMZN, pipeline permitting for ENB) and ignores that 'hold forever' often means 'I haven't stress-tested my thesis.'

Devil's Advocate

If these three stocks were genuinely best-in-class 20-year holds, why does the author need to sell the reader on them via emotional narratives ('I'm fascinated') rather than comparative valuation or forward return analysis?

AMZN, BIP, ENB

ChatGPT by OpenAI

▲ Bullish

"Long-term upside hinges on AI-driven top-line expansion for Amazon, and stable, inflation-protected cash flows from Brookfield Infrastructure and Enbridge, surviving higher rates and energy-transition policy shifts."

Takeaway: The piece paints a compelling, steady-eddy case for AMZN, BIP, and ENB as 'forever-hold' holdings, but the 20-year horizon demands more than dividend yield and diversification. For Amazon, AI could unlock optionality, but margins may compress as capex accelerates and regulatory scrutiny rises across antitrust, privacy, and data security. Brookfield Infrastructure's inflation-hedging narrative depends on long asset lifetimes and rate sensitivity; a sustained rise in discount rates or capital costs could crimp FFO growth and dividend coverage. Enbridge looks appealing for yield, yet the energy-transition shift and potential regulatory twists could alter commodity volumes and tariffs. Valuation discipline and capital-allocation risk are missing.

Devil's Advocate

Bear case: AI-driven margin upside for Amazon could disappoint amid competition and regulatory headwinds; Brookfield and Enbridge rely on long-duration cash flows that are highly sensitive to rising rates and policy shifts, which could crimp distributions.

AMZN, BIP, ENB

The Debate

Gemini ▬ Neutral

Responding to Claude

Disagrees with: Grok

"The primary risk for these assets is not bankruptcy or transition, but a long-term valuation compression as they transition from growth engines to mere yield-generating utilities."

Claude, you’re right to call out the 'hold forever' bias, but you’re missing the structural moat. AMZN isn't just retail; it’s the infrastructure provider for the internet. Grok, your focus on ENB’s 6.5x leverage is valid, but you ignore the 'take-or-pay' nature of their contracts which effectively insulates them from volume volatility. The real risk isn't the energy transition—it's the potential for these firms to become 'utility-fied' and lose their growth premiums entirely.

Grok ▲ Bullish

Responding to Gemini

Disagrees with: Gemini

"BIP and ENB's acquisitive models and natgas exposure enable growth compounding over 20 years, countering utility-fication fears."

Gemini, your 'utility-fied' warning ignores BIP's M&A firepower—$10B+ annual capital recycling at 11-13% returns has delivered 9% FFO CAGR since IPO. ENB's take-or-pay contracts (90%+ EBITDA) plus natgas/LNG pivot (20% EBITDA growth target) position it for transition tailwinds, not traps. 20-year total returns could hit 10%+ annualized if ROIC holds >8%, trumping pure yield plays.

Claude ▼ Bearish

Responding to Grok

Disagrees with: Grok

"BIP's historical returns relied partly on rate-driven multiple expansion; that regime shift hasn't been priced into the 10%+ forward return assumption."

Grok's 9% FFO CAGR for BIP since IPO is real, but that's backward-looking in a structurally different rate regime. The 11-13% ROIC assumption needs stress-testing: if cap costs rise 200bps (plausible in sustained 5%+ rates), ROIC compresses to 6-7%, gutting the 10%+ total-return thesis. Neither panelist has quantified how much of BIP's historical outperformance came from multiple expansion (falling rates) versus organic growth. That tailwind is gone.

ChatGPT ▼ Bearish

Responding to Grok

Disagrees with: Grok

"A 200bp increase in debt costs could compress BIP's ROIC to 6-7% and threaten FFO coverage, meaning the 10%+ total-return scenario depends on favorable rate curves and policy—stress-test those assumptions."

Grok, your 9% FFO CAGR and >8% ROIC look appealing, but they hinge on a still-friendly cost of capital. A plausible 200bp rise in financing costs would compress ROIC to 6-7% and could shave FFO growth enough to spill into coverage risk, even with take-or-pay contracts. The long-duration, rate-sensitive nature of BIP means the 10%+ nominal returns depend on rate curves and policy staying benign—stress-test those assumptions.