In his 1988 letter to shareholders Warren Buffett said: "When we own portions of outstanding businesses with outstanding managements, our favorite holding period is forever."
Hoping to be able to hold shares forever might be a little idealistic, as you never quite know what technological breakthroughs are around the corner. But I do believe the S&P/ASX 200 (Index: ^AXJO) (ASX: XJO) has a number of quality shares which you could consider great long-term buy and hold investments.
I have picked out seven shares which I feel buy and hold investors should be considering as investments:
Cochlear Limited (ASX: COH)
Hearing implant maker Cochlear is the market leader in its category. I believe its wide economic moat is something which Warren Buffett would find appealing. Most recently it reported a 32% rise in interim profit to $94 million thanks in part to robust sales growth.
Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd (ASX: CCL)
I believe Coca-Cola Amatil has a great deal of growth ahead of it in the next decade. I have high hopes for the company in the Indonesia market. Progress has been slow, but I expect it will be the catalyst for strong earnings growth for many years to come.
CSL Limited (ASX: CSL)
The global specialty biotherapeutics company is another share I think investors could buy and hold for the long term thanks to its market-leading position. Through its high level of innovation and astute acquisitions, I expect the company to continue to grow its top and bottom lines for many years to come.
Ramsay Health Care Limited (ASX: RHC)
Ramsay Health Care is Australia's leading private hospital operator. In the last 10 years it has grown its earnings by an average of 17% per year. With the company taking a keen interest in the China market, I would not be surprised to see it maintain this level of earnings growth for the next 10 years.
ResMed Inc. (CHESS) (ASX: RMD)
ResMed is a leading global developer and manufacturer of medical devices for sleep apnoea and other respiratory related disorders. It has carved out a market-leading position in a fledgling market that experts believe will grow by at least 8% per year through to 2020.
SEEK Limited (ASX: SEK)
In the last 10 years the shares have provided shareholders with an average total return of 17%. Thanks to its market-leading position in Australia and expansion overseas, I have a strong belief that we will see it provide similar total shareholder returns over the next 10 years.
Transurban Group (ASX: TCL)
Australia's toll road king has the rights to operate a number of vital toll roads in Australia for at least the next two decades. With a number of projects in the pipeline, shareholders should expect to see good returns in the future. Priced at 40x estimated FY 2016 earnings means the shares do not come cheap. This could be one to snap up on any dips should they present themselves.
