A buy and hold for life ASX 200 share does not mean investors should buy it and never look at it again.

It means finding a business with quality, a strong market position, and a long-term growth runway to justify patience through different market cycles.

If I were looking for ASX 200 shares that could sit in a portfolio for decades, I would want companies that are difficult to replace, still have ways to grow, and are not relying on one good year to make the investment case work.

Here are three that stand out to me.

Goodman Group (ASX: GMG)

Goodman Group could be one of the ASX 200’s best long-term compounders.

The company owns, develops, and manages industrial property in major global markets.

That includes warehouses, logistics facilities, and data centre infrastructure. These assets may not be as exciting in the same way as a new app or consumer brand, but they are deeply connected to how the modern economy works.

Goods need to be stored and moved, online orders need fulfilment networks, cloud computing and artificial intelligence need physical infrastructure, and businesses want high-quality space close to customers, transport routes, labour pools, and power.

Goodman’s advantage is that prime industrial land in major cities is not easy to recreate. Once a company has the right sites, customer relationships, planning approvals, and development expertise, it can become very hard for others to catch up.

Its shares can look expensive at times, but quality rarely comes at bargain prices for long. Overall, I think Goodman’s mix of property, infrastructure, and development capability makes it a standout ASX 200 share for patient investors.

REA Group Ltd (ASX: REA)

REA Group is another ASX 200 share that could be bought with a very long-term mindset.

The company owns realestate.com.au, which is Australia’s leading property website.

What makes REA strong is its position between buyers, sellers, renters, agents, developers, and advertisers. When Australians want to look for property, many go straight to its platform. When agents want attention for listings, they also need to be where the audience is.

That creates a powerful loop. More listings attract more users and more users make the platform more valuable to agents and advertisers. That kind of network position is difficult to attack unless user behaviour changes dramatically.

Property listings can rise and fall with interest rates, housing sentiment, and market conditions. But Australians remain deeply engaged with property over the long term, whether they are buying, selling, renting, renovating, or simply watching the market.

REA is not immune to downturns, but its brand, audience, and pricing power give it rare durability.

Xero Ltd (ASX: XRO)

Xero is a very different type of ASX 200 share, but also has long-term appeal.

The company provides cloud accounting software for small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers.

This popular software helps businesses keep track of money, invoices, payroll, bills, payments, and compliance. That may not sound glamorous, but it sits close to the daily financial life of millions of small businesses. 

This makes it increasingly sticky. Once a business, accountant, or bookkeeper builds workflows around a platform, switching can be inconvenient and risky. This supports strong user retention rates and user growth.

Another positive is its investment in artificial intelligence. This could make the platform more valuable to users if it helps automate routine admin, improve bank reconciliation, speed up reporting, and give business owners better financial insights.

As with the others, Xero’s valuation can be demanding. But Xero has a strong product, a large global market, and a role in small business that could become more important over the next decade.

The post 3 ASX 200 shares I’d buy and hold for life appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor James Mickleboro has positions in Goodman Group, REA Group, and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended Goodman Group and Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Xero. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Goodman Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

The ASX growth share space is a great place to find ideas that can help us outperform the wider stock market.

The smaller we go down the market capitalisation list, the more likely it is to find an undervalued business with a long growth runway, in my opinion.

Experts from the listed investment company (LIC) WAM Research Ltd (ASX: WAX) have outlined two businesses that could be ones to watch. The LIC looks for the most compelling, undervalued growth opportunities on the ASX.

Civmec Ltd (ASX: CVL)

WAM described Civmec as a founder-led, mining, construction and engineering services company based in Western Australia.

During June, the company announced its order book had reached $1.5 billion. Growth was supported by a series of new contract awards, panel agreement extensions and new orders across its resources, infrastructure, energy and maintenance activities.

Key project wins included a further package of work with Iluka Resources Ltd (ASX: ILU) at the Eneabba Rare Earths Refinery and the major construction contract for Perth Park, delivered through an alliance with Seymour Whyte and Aurecon.

The investment team at WAM believes these projects provide strong earnings visibility over the next two years. Wilson Asset Management also believes that the ASX growth share is well positioned to win significant defence contracts which are expected to come to market over the next two to three years.

WAM suggested that Vicmec’s ownership of strategic land at the Henderson precinct in Western Australia positions it well in tendering for these projects.

Reliance Worldwide Corporation Ltd (ASX: RWC)

The other ASX growth share that was highlighted in the WAM Research portfolio was plumbing supplies company Reliance, which has operations across Australia, Europe and North America.

WAM noted that during June, it announced the next stage of streamlining its manufacturing operations.

That plan includes the closure of its brass casting, forging and machining operations in Moorabbin and Braeside, Melbourne, along with additional smaller sites.

Those changes are expected to deliver a benefit to net annual operating profit (EBITDA) of approximately US$9 million across the group by the end of FY27.

WAM said the ASX growth share has suffered headwinds in recent years, including US tariffs and higher interest rates, but the investment team believe the outlook is improving as macroeconomic indicators begin to stabilise and the company resets its cost base.

In WAM’s view, this positions Reliance to grow earnings into FY27 and FY28. The fund manager sees potential for a rerating in the Reliance share price as earnings momentum improves.

The post 2 ASX growth shares with strong potential to buy appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Tristan Harrison has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

If I had $10,000 to invest in Betashares exchange-traded funds (ETFs), I would want more than simple market exposure.

I would be looking for funds that give me access to different engines of long-term growth: global innovation, emerging economic scale, and local technology businesses trying to become much larger over time.

Here are three Betashares ETFs I would consider buying.

Betashares Nasdaq 100 ETF (ASX: NDQ)

The first ETF I would consider is one that gives investors exposure to some of the world’s most powerful businesses.

The NDQ ETF tracks the Nasdaq 100, which means it allows investors to buy a portion of companies shaping how the digital economy works.

I like this ETF because many of its holdings are not just selling products. They are building systems that other businesses and consumers rely on every day.

Search, cloud computing, semiconductors, digital advertising, productivity software, streaming, e-commerce, payments, and artificial intelligence all sit inside the broader Nasdaq story.

That makes this Betashares ETF more than a simple technology ETF in my mind. It is a way to invest in companies that keep finding new ways to turn scale, data, software, and user attention into earnings.

Betashares India Quality ETF (ASX: IIND)

The second ETF I would look at is focused on a market that feels very different to the usual developed-market options.

The IIND ETF gives investors exposure to Indian companies with quality characteristics.

What interests me about India is not just population size. It is the combination of rising incomes, expanding digital infrastructure, formalisation of the economy, and increasing demand for financial services, healthcare, consumer goods, and technology.

India has a long runway if more households enter the middle class, more businesses move into the formal economy, and more spending shifts through digital channels.

I also like that this Betashares ETF has a quality filter. Emerging markets can be volatile, and not every fast-growing company creates value for shareholders. A quality-focused approach can help tilt the portfolio toward businesses with stronger financial foundations.

Betashares S&P/ASX Australian Technology ETF (ASX: ATEC)

The final Betashares ETF I would consider is the most local of the three.

The ATEC ETF gives investors exposure to Australian technology companies.

I like this idea because Australia has produced some strong technology businesses, but they can be hard to pick individually. Some will disappoint, some may be acquired, and some may grow into much larger companies than investors expect. An ETF approach spreads that risk.

Its holdings include companies offering payments, logistics, accounting, real estate, data, software, and online marketplaces, which can all create value when they make customers faster, more efficient, or better informed.

Foolish takeaway

If I were investing $10,000 into Betashares ETFs, I would want the money working across different types of growth.

I like the idea of combining global digital leaders, India’s long-term economic development, and Australian technology companies trying to scale.

That mix would not be smooth every year. But I think it gives investors exposure to areas of the market where change can create real wealth over time.

For patient investors, I think these three Betashares ETFs could be strong long-term buys.

The post 3 Betashares ETFs I’d buy with $10,000 appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

More reading

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• 5 of the best investments on the ASX right now to complement your superannuation
• Are these some of the best Betashares ETFs to buy?
• SpaceX will be included in the Nasdaq index this week. Here’s what that means for ASX investors
• The best ASX ETFs to buy and hold for 10 years

Motley Fool contributor Grace Alvino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended BetaShares Nasdaq 100 ETF. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.