Whenever I buy an ASX share, I do so with the hope, and expectation, that I won't have to sell it. Things change and don't turn out how we might expect, of course. I have sold many ASX shares that didn't execute on their potential over the years. But at the end of the day, I try to live up to Warren Buffett's advice that "If you aren't thinking about owning a stock for ten years, don't even think about owning it for ten minutes".
So with that in mind, let's talk about five ASX shares that I think any investor should buy in 2026 if they intend to hold them for at least a decade.
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Five ASX stocks to buy and hold until 2036 and beyond
First up is Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS). Telstra is the leading telecommunications provider in Australia. Its superior network coverage and powerful brand give this stock an impressive moat, which has historically enabled Telstra to steadily grow its earnings and dividends. As a reliable income stock and a steady blue-chip share, I don't think you can go wrong with Telstra as a long-term investment.
It's a similar story with Coles Group Ltd (ASX: COL). Coles has done an exceptional job since beginning ASX life in its own terms in 2018. It has gained market share from rival Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) in recent years. Additionally, its nature as a provider of food and household essentials makes it a defensive stock resistant to economic problems like inflation and recessions.
Again, this helps protect the company's earnings and ability to pay a consistent and reliable dividend. Unless we find a way to live happily without eating and running our houses, Coles should be bigger and better in 2036.
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES) is another ASX stock perfect for a long-term investor, in my view. Wesfarmers is the company behind some of Australia's most popular retailers. These include Kmart, OfficeWorks, Target, and Bunnings. This stock also owns a collection of other diversified businesses, which range from lithium extraction to pharmacies.
Wesfarmers has proven over many decades that it knows how to manage different businesses successfully and to grow investors' capital. It has a strong history of dividend payments and share buybacks. I would be happy to own Wesfarmers shares for many decades to come.
Our final two shares
Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL) is our fourth long-term investment. Soul Patts is an investment house that manages an underlying portfolio on behalf of its shareholders. This portfolio contains stakes in other ASX shares, as well as private credit investments and other unlisted assets.
Like Wesfarmers, Soul Patts has decades of history that it can point to with pride. It has delivered market-beating returns for the past 25 years, and boasts the best dividend streak on the ASX. Its investors have enjoyed an annual dividend pay rise every single year since 1998.
Our final stock today is another retailer in Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL). Like Wesfarmers, many Australians might not have heard of Super Retail Group. But they have probably heard of its brands, which include Super Cheap Auto, Rebel, Macpac, and BCF. Super Retail Group is one of the most resilient retailers in the country, surviving and thriving during both the 2008 global financial crisis and the pandemic. Given the enduring popularity of its stores, I think buying and holding this company for at least the next ten years would be a prudent investment.
