3 Top Buffett Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Haul

By Patrick Sanders – Dec 16, 2025 at 5:00PM ESTKey PointsBuffett likes to say Coca-Cola was his first business venture.His bet on American Express was one of Buffett's first big wins.Moody's doesn't receive as much attention, but its returns over the years have dwarfed those of the S&P 500.These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›NYSE: KOCoca-ColaMarket Cap$305BToday's Changeangle-down(-0.84%) $0.59Current Price$70.38Price as of December 16, 2025 at 3:58 PM ETBuffett has held these stocks for a long time; perhaps you should, too.Warren Buffett's 60-year career at the helm of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A 1.29%) (BRK.B 1.29%) is winding down at the end of this year, but the investing legend's legacy will live forever. Buffett has been a champion of stocks to buy and hold for the long haul, famously saying that "our favorite holding period is forever." Buffett has been calling the shots for Berkshire Hathaway's $317 billion portfolio for a long time, favoring companies that have strong management, consistent earnings, a competitive moat, and ideally, pay a regular dividend. Some of the names in Berkshire's portfolio have been there for a long time -- and even after Buffett's well-earned retirement, you can emulate the Oracle of Omaha by buying and holding these stocks for the long haul. Let's look at three of them. Image source: The Motley Fool. 1. Coca-Cola Buffett is a well-known fan of Coca-Cola (KO 0.84%), saying he has consumed five cans of the soda every day for years. But he's been equally infatuated with the stock, having first purchased it in 1988. The purchase marked a deliberate shift in Buffett's investment focus, as he began emphasizing quality companies. As he said in 1989, "It's far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price." ExpandNYSE: KOCoca-ColaToday's Change(-0.84%) $-0.59Current Price$70.38Key Data PointsMarket Cap$305BDay's Range$70.38 - $71.2952wk Range$60.62 - $74.38Volume672KAvg Vol17MGross Margin61.55%Dividend Yield2.87% In fact, Buffett likes to say that Coca-Cola was his first business venture -- he recalls buying six-packs of the soda in the 1930s and selling them for 5 cents each. Advertisement Today, Berkshire Hathaway has 400 million shares of Coca-Cola stock, or nearly 10% of the company. Coca-Cola has rewarded Buffett with consistent returns as it has expanded its product offerings to include lemonade, tea, water, sports drinks, coffee, and alcoholic beverages, in addition to its soft drinks. Shares of Coca-Cola stock are up 31% in the last three years, but when you factor in the dividend yield of nearly 3%, your returns spike to more than 50%. That's the power of dividend investing. 2.

American Express Under Buffett's leadership, Berkshire Hathaway has shares of Mastercard, Visa, and American Express (AXP 0.48%). But it's the latter that's a clear favorite of the Oracle of Omaha, as Berkshire Hathaway holds a mammoth 22% stake in the credit card company, compared with only 0.4% in both Mastercard and Visa. ExpandNYSE: AXPAmerican ExpressToday's Change(-0.48%) $-1.82Current Price$380.75Key Data PointsMarket Cap$264BDay's Range$378.82 - $384.7852wk Range$220.43 - $387.49Volume2.6MAvg Vol2.6MGross Margin61.04%Dividend Yield0.83% Buffett first started investing in American Express in 1964, following a scandal the previous year involving salad oil inventories that sent the stock plummeting. It was one of Buffett's best early bets: he invested $13 million in the company at around $30 per share and saw his investment jump 124% in just two years. American Express caters to businesses and a more affluent customer base than Mastercard or Visa, and recently rolled out updated consumer and business platinum cards with annual fees of $895. It's a testament to the power of the American Express brand that its customers are willing to pay that fee. American Express's three-year return is 216%, but including the quarterly dividend, the return jumps to 240%. 3. Moody's Moody's (MCO +1.13%) doesn't get a lot of attention, but it's been a longtime Berkshire Hathaway holding under Buffett, who first began investing 25 years ago after the company spun off from Dun & Bradstreet. ExpandNYSE: MCOMoody'sToday's Change(1.13%) $5.50Current Price$493.00Key Data PointsMarket Cap$87BDay's Range$491.42 - $498.5952wk Range$378.71 - $531.93Volume889KAvg Vol872KGross Margin67.43%Dividend Yield0.77% Moody's provides data, intelligence, and analytical tools, but it's best known for its credit ratings, which offer insights into the creditworthiness of companies, governments, and debt securities. Letter-based grades range from Aaa to C and are closely watched by investors and regulators to gauge the health of companies and governments -- and whether or not they can pay their debts. "We pay Moody's a lot of money to rate us," Buffett said, appearing on Fox Business in 2010 -- a difficult time for the company as it was under heavy criticism for its role in the subprime housing collapse. "I've seen their competitive position, and they operate in a business with very wide profit margins, very high returns on capital, and it's a business that will probably grow over time." And Buffett was right. Since June 2, 2010, Moody's has delivered a total return (including dividends) of 2,800%, while the S&P 500 has returned only 740% over the same period. Berkshire Hathaway owns 24.7 million shares of Moody's stock, or nearly 14% of the company.About the AuthorPatrick Sanders is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering stocks and ETFs in the consumer, financial, and technology sectors. Before joining The Motley Fool, he was an assistant managing editor at U.S. News & World Report and a news editor for The Associated Press. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Marshall University.TMFPatrickRead NextDec 16, 2025 •By Parkev Tatevosian, CFAShould Dividend Stock Investors Buy Coca-Cola Stock Before 2026?Dec 16, 2025 •By Daniel FoelberAll It Takes Is $6,500 Invested in Coca-Cola and This High-Yield Dividend Stock to Help Generate $539 in Passive Income in 2026Dec 14, 2025 •By Neil PatelHere's How Many Shares of Coca-Cola You'd Need for $10,000 in Yearly DividendsDec 14, 2025 •By Adria CiminoStart the New Year Off With Passive Income: 3 Dividend Kings to Buy NowDec 12, 2025 •By Todd ShriberWhat to Watch With KO Stock in 2026Dec 11, 2025 •By Bram Berkowitz2 Warren Buffett Stocks to Buy Hand Over Fist in December