3 Top Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever

Core Insights - The article emphasizes three companies—Waste Management, Intuitive Surgical, and Marriott International—as strong candidates for long-term investment due to their competitive advantages and stable cash flows [2][3]. Waste Management - Waste Management (WM) reported second-quarter revenue of approximately $6.4 billion, reflecting a 19% year-over-year increase, driven by solid performance in core operations and contributions from a healthcare disposal acquisition [5]. - The legacy disposal business saw a revenue increase of 7.1% year over year, indicating robust growth even without acquisitions [5]. - WM's management projects full-year free cash flow between $2.8 billion and $2.9 billion, significantly up from an initial guidance of $125 million, supporting dividends and buybacks while allowing for growth investments [6]. - The company's scale, route density, and long-term contracts create a competitive moat that is difficult for new entrants to penetrate [6]. Intuitive Surgical - Intuitive Surgical reported second-quarter revenue of about $2.44 billion, a 21% year-over-year increase, driven by higher placements of da Vinci systems and increased procedure volumes [9]. - The installed base of da Vinci systems grew at a double-digit rate, and management expects procedure growth of approximately 15.5% to 17% in 2025 [9][10]. - The company has a strong balance sheet with significant cash reserves and no debt, enhancing its resilience [12]. - Intuitive Surgical's price-to-earnings ratio is around 61, indicating that much of the potential upside is already reflected in the stock price [11]. Marriott International - Marriott International's second-quarter revenue per available room (RevPAR) increased by 1.5% year over year, with international markets growing by 5.3% [13]. - Non-GAAP earnings per share rose to $2.65, up from $2.50 in the previous year, and adjusted EBITDA reached approximately $1.4 billion, a 7% increase year over year [13]. - The company repurchased about $0.7 billion of stock during the quarter and has returned approximately $2.1 billion year to date through dividends and buybacks [13]. - Marriott's asset-light model, focusing on franchising and management rather than ownership, allows for low capital needs and strong cash conversion [14].