My top five favourite stocks in the world

Coca-Cola Co (NYSE: KO)

Is there a product that is more famous and more ubiquitous in the world than Coca-Cola? I challenge you to name one. The Coca-Cola Company is the business behind the brand, controlling global ownership of this invaluable trademark. Coke has been a solid investment for decades.

No challenger can dislodge its century-old brand, nor consumers' love for it. This makes Coca-Cola recession-proof, inflation-resistant and a formidable investment. Warren Buffett held Coca-Cola shares for decades, and that says more than anything I can.

Procter & Gamble Inc (NYSE: PG)

Procter & Gamble may not be the household name that Coca-Cola is. But I'd wager that there may be even more Procter & Gamble products than Coca-Cola ones in most Australians' houses as I write. This consumer staples giant is the name behind beloved household brands like Gillette, Oral-B, Fairy, Head & Shoulders, Vicks, Tide, Olay, and Old Spice, amongst others.

These brands have graced households all over the world for decades. Given how ingrained into daily life they are, this makes Procter & Gamble another top stock, and a defensive, reliable investment one can hold for decades.

Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: GOOGL)

Google-owner Alphabet is next up. This company's incredibly successful Google Search product, its flagship, needs little introduction. It is nothing less than the world's gateway to the internet, and has been for 20 years. These days, though, Alphabet has far more going for it than just Google Search. It also owns a leading AI platform in Gemini. Not to mention one of the world's most popular entertainment platforms, YouTube. Alphabet's other ventures include Google Cloud, and self-driving vehicle company Waymo.

There is so much to like about Alphabet. It is my yp Magnificent 7 stock, and is set, at least in my view, to be a world-leading company for decades to come.

Nintendo Co Ltd (TYO: 7974)

Next up, we have another household name in Nintendo. It's my opinion that Nintendo owns some of the most valuable intellectual property in the world. It has been a leader in gaming since the 1980s, with many of its original characters, including Donkey Kong and Mario, remaining entertainment staples today. In addition, Nintendo also part owns the most successful entertainment franchise in history: Pokémon.

This is a company that knows the value of its property and knows how to protect and leverage it. It has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and, in my view, remains a top stock and a screaming buy for long-term investors.

Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co Ltd (ASX: SOL)

Our final stock is our only ASX share on this list. Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Co is an investment house. It manages a vast, underlying portfolio of investments for its shareholders. Soul Patts has been doing this for decades, and is very good at it.

Earlier this year, the company confirmed that its shareholders have enjoyed a total return (share price growth plus dividends) of 12.9% per annum over the 25 years to 31 January 2026. That's well above what the broader market returned. This top stock also has the best dividend growth streak on the ASX, having delivered an annual dividend hike every year since 1998.

The post Screaming buys: My top 5 favourite stocks in the world appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

But here in Australia, we don't have the same opportunities of participating in this circle as some of the larger economies of the world.

For example, over in the United States, you can buy an iPhone, have a Coke, or purchase something on Amazon with the full ability to own a chunk of the companies that are providing these goods and services.

The ASX has its downsides…

But here in Australia, I doubt that too many customers of our largest companies would have such a level of affinity. When was the last time you heard someone describe their love of Telstra Corporation Ltd (ASX: TLS)? Or BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP)?

Most Australians probably don't even have a firm grasp of what CSL Limited (ASX: CSL) does. And bashing banks like Commonwealth Bank of Australia (ASX: CBA) and Westpac Banking Corp (ASX: WBC) is something of a national sport.

Luckily, there is still a way for ASX investors to own shares (albeit indirectly) of the likes of Apple Inc (NASDAQ: AAPL), Coca-Cola Co (NYSE: KO) and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN). It's using exchange-traded funds (ETFs), of course.

ETFs work by grouping large baskets of shares together under one investment. By purchasing units of the iShares S&P 500 ETF (ASX: IVV) for example, you are getting a small piece of Amazon, Apple and Coca-Cola, all in one package.

Investing in what you love… with ETFs

But what if one of your favourite companies isn't listed in the United States? That's a conundrum I am personally facing.

One of my favourite companies in the world is Nintendo Co Ltd (TYO: 7974). If you're unaware, Nintendo is one of the world's largest gaming companies. It makes home consoles such as the Wii and Switch. But it also (in my opinion) owns some of the world's most valuable intellectual property.

Have you heard of Mario and Luigi? Princess Peach and Bowser? All are video game characters owned by Nintendo. What about Pikachu? Pokemon is also a Nintendo franchise.

These characters have been delighting both children and adults for decades now.

How I plan to buy one of my favourite stocks in the world with an ASX ETF

Pick anyone under a certain age, and it's likely that one or more of these video game characters played a formative role in their childhoods. That includes this writer. As such, I regard Nintendo as having some of the most valuable entertainment-related intellectual property in the world. Perhaps only rivalled by the likes of Walt Disney Co (NYSE: DIS).

I happen to love using Nintendo products and would love to share in that commercial prosperity as a part-owner of this company. But Nintendo is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Japan. As such, is a rather difficult company to invest in from Australia.

But luckily, there is an ASX ETF for that.

The VanEck Video Gaming and Esports ETF (ASX: ESPO) is a fund that, according to the provider, seeks to give investors acute exposure to "a diversified portfolio of the largest and most liquid companies involved in video game development, esports and related hardware and software globally".

One of those companies just happens to be Nintendo. As it currently stands, Nintendo stock is the sixth-largest company in this ETF's portfolio. It accounts for approximately 5.2% of the total weighted holdings.

Foolish takeaway

So I'm planning on buying this ETF in 2023 so I can get some exposure to one of my all-time favourite companies. It's a perfect example of the wonders of modern investing – such an endeavour would have been almost impossible for an Australian even 15 years ago.

The post Here's how I'll use this ASX ETF to invest in my favourite stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.