I believe investors are much more likely to see good returns by owning ASX shares over the long term.
But, there aren't many investments I'd commit to owning for 10 years, let alone 60 or 70 years.
There are a few names I expect to own for a very long time. I've already owned the two below ASX share for many years and I expect they'll be in my portfolio for decades to come.
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Rural Funds Group (ASX: RFF)
Rural Funds is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns farmland across Australia.
Farms have been an essential part of life for many centuries, and I think that will continue to be the case for a very long time to come.
Rural Funds is invested across a variety of farming sectors. I like the diversification strategy of the business because it lowers the risk of being too exposed to one type of farm and allows it to find the best opportunities it can for a combination of rental income and growth.
The business has long-term rental agreements signed with high-quality agricultural producers. The weighted average lease expiry (WALE) is currently over a decade, indicating compelling rental visibility and security.
Its rental income is steadily growing thanks to contracted increases, either linked to inflation or fixed annual increases, plus market reviews.
One of the main reasons this seems like such a good time to invest is that the business is trading at a significant discount to its net asset value (NAV) – the underlying value of the business, including property values, loans, and so on.
At 31 December 2025, it had an adjusted NAV of $3.10. At the time of writing, it's trading at a discount of around 33%.
As a final bonus, it offers good passive income – it currently has a distribution yield of 5.6%.
Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co. Ltd (ASX: SOL)
Soul Patts is another ASX share I expect to deliver excellent longevity. It has already been listed for 120 years, and I think it'll excel for decades to come.
The investment house has a very diversified portfolio of assets and businesses. Having a flexible investment mandate allows the company to steadily change its asset base over the years, giving the business the ability to future-proof itself.
In 20 years, its main investments could be extremely different, but the business will still have the same level of attraction to me. Management is always looking for ideas that can generate defensive cash flow and deliver long-term capital growth.
Currently, some of its biggest investments include energy, sources, property, swimming schools, agriculture, electrification, credit and plenty more.
Soul Patts has outperformed the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) over the long-term, and I expect that to continue as the business further adjusts its portfolio.
One of the main reasons I like it so much as an investment is its excellent track record of dividend growth. It has increased its regular payout every year since 1998. That's the most consistent dividend growth record on the ASX.
