2 Healthcare Stocks for Individual Investors With a 30-Year Time Horizon

Market volatility is a normal part of investing, and historically, the market has recovered from downturns and risen beyond its pre-downturn level.

Focusing on your long-term goals and avoiding emotional, short-term trading can help you benefit from future market growth, provided you are consistently putting cash into quality companies that you intend to hold for years. In fact, selling impulsively during a decline can lock in losses and prevent your participation in the eventual market recovery.

The healthcare industry has proven to be a resilient place for investors to put cash to work over the years. If you are looking for stocks to buy and hold for 30 years, here are two no-brainer names to consider.

1. Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) has certainly grabbed the attention of many investors with the success of its GLP-1 franchise, but the company was already one of the world's oldest and most successful drug companies before this new era dawned. The potential for U.S. government intervention to lower drug prices, specifically for high-demand GLP-1 treatments, as well as the announcements of pharma tariffs, are a few factors that have put pressure on stocks across the industry, including shares of Eli Lilly.

However, Eli Lilly is heavily investing in manufacturing, with planned multibillion-dollar expansions in the U.S. to boost production capacity for its popular medications. Eli Lilly is also reportedly in active discussions with the Trump administration about a deal that would involve discounted drugs for consumers on the new TrumpRx website, similar to a deal previously struck with Pfizer.

While Mounjaro and Zepbound are significant growth drivers, it's already looking toward its future growth both within and outside its GLP-1 franchise. The point being, there's a lot to like about Eli Lilly as a business and where its growth story is going. The company reported a 38% year-over-year revenue increase to $15.6 billion in Q2 and a 61% spike in non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per share in the quarter.

The company continues to advance a promising drug pipeline in areas like oncology, immunology, and neuroscience. Recent positive trial results for its oral GLP-1 treatment, orforglipron, are just one example. Orforglipron could broaden access to the GLP-1 market by attracting patients unwilling to use injectable options like Lilly's Zepbound or Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy.

The convenience of a once-daily pill with no food or water restrictions provides a competitive advantage over rival oral options. The drug could further strengthen Lilly's portfolio in the highly lucrative diabetes and obesity markets, where it already has leading injectable products. Orforglipron's demonstrated superiority over oral semaglutide in diabetes trials also enhances Lilly's competitive standing. Some analysts predict sales could reach over $10 billion by the early 2030s.

Income investors should note that Eli Lilly made its first dividend payment over a century ago, and has consistently paid shareholders since. While Eli Lilly's yield will fluctuate based on share prices, the healthcare stock has a storied track record of increasing dividend payments by double digits. This looks like a great stock to hold on to for a few decades.

2. Intuitive Surgical

Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) is a market leader in robotic-assisted surgery, with a robust, recurring revenue model that has enabled the company to grow its balance sheet and share price steadily through the years. The majority of Intuitive's revenue comes from selling instruments, accessories, and services required for surgical procedures, even though a single one of its da Vinci surgical systems can run upwards of $3 million.

Intuitive Surgical's products are used in various minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgical procedures across several specialties, including general surgery, gynecology, urology, colorectal, thoracic, and cardiac surgery. The company's Ion system is specifically designed for minimally invasive lung biopsies.

The company's new da Vinci 5 is one of many catalysts for its growth story in the coming years. The new system, which began a limited rollout in the U.S. in 2024 and received CE Mark approval in Europe in July 2025, builds on Intuitive's established platform, with significant hardware and software improvements.

For example, the system features integrated force feedback technology, which helps surgeons apply less force to tissue, and the most realistic 3D vision system to date. The da Vinci 5 system has over 10,000 times the computing power of its predecessor, and is built to handle advanced data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning.

The company has seen consistent revenue growth over the years, including solid expansion in recent periods. For example, the company's annual revenue increased from $4.36 billion in 2020 to an estimated $8.35 billion in 2024. And, the full-service ecosystem that Intuitive Surgical has created for its healthcare provider clients has proven incredibly profitable for the business through the years.

In 2024, the company recorded a pro forma gross profit margin of 69%. Its net income totaled $2.3 billion in the 12-month period, compared to $1.8 billion in 2023, a 29% increase. While Intuitive Surgical's valuation is steep, it also reflects the incredible profitability and growth expectations for this company. That's a value proposition that some long-term investors might want to capitalize on in the coming decades.

Rachel Warren has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Surgical and Pfizer. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.