2 ASX shares to buy and hold for the next decade

I'd back these investments to deliver good results over the long-term.

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Key points

  • Long-term investment in ASX shares like Xero Ltd and Centuria Capital Group can leverage compounding benefits
  • Xero Ltd has grown its global subscriber base significantly, reporting a 30% net profit growth in FY25 with high subscriber loyalty and potential for further US market expansion.
  • Centuria Capital Group, with promising growth in property fund management, aims for $1 billion in real estate acquisitions by FY26 and a 10% increase in OEPS, diversifying its FUM with agriculture, healthcare, and real estate finance.

I think it's much better to own ASX share investments for the long-term than try to trade in and out of businesses.

There are multiple reasons for my belief in holding stocks for long stretches, including letting compounding work its magic and not reducing that compounding unnecessarily with (capital gains) tax events.

The two businesses I want to highlight have already grown significantly over the last decade and I'm expecting plenty more growth.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

Xero is a cloud accounting software business which has grown its global subscriber base to more than 4.4 million. It's a truly international company with subscribers in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, South Africa, Singapore and plenty of other markets.

The world is becoming increasingly digital and tax authorities in different countries are wanting businesses to submit documents digitally, providing more incentive for small businesses to sign up to Xero.

It has an incredibly high gross profit margin of 89%, which means nearly all of the new revenue turns into gross profit for Xero. It has reached that milestone of profitability where it has grown enough that further revenue expansion will significantly fall to the bottom line.

In the FY25 result, the company's net profit grew 30% and free cash flow surged 48%. Over the next ten years, I'm expecting significant profit growth from the company and further subscriber growth, which is highly beneficial with its extremely high subscriber loyalty rate.

If it can reach a good market share in the US (a huge market), it could become a much larger ASX share.

Centuria Capital Group (ASX: CNI)

Centuria is a property-focused fund manager. It offers various property funds, including the real estate investment trusts (REITs) Centuria Industrial REIT (ASX: CIP) and Centuria Office REIT (ASX: COF).

Following multiple RBA cash rate cuts in 2025, the outlook looks promising for the business. I don't know exactly how the commercial property market will develop over the next decade, but I'm confident the business will be able to add to its growing portfolio of properties that it manages.

For example, in August, it announced the $216 million acquisition of the Port Adelaide Distribution Centre for a new unlisted fund.

Rising management fees are a key driver for the business. In FY26, the business is targeting at least $1 billion of FY26 real estate acquisitions. I also like how the business is aiming to grow in different areas of the property world including agriculture, healthcare and real estate finance.

The business is expecting to grow its operating earnings per security (OEPS) by 10% in FY26. In ten years, I think its OEPS could be much higher.

Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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