I often like to recommend to investors starting out that they don’t put everything they have towards stocks. Even when it comes to their investment income. Instead, I recommend creating a budget, and based on your budget and income, you can usually put 5% to 10% aside per month.
Given that as of 2021, Statistics Canada says the average Canadian salary came in at about $60,000, that would mean putting aside about $3,000 per year. And in many cases, that’s $3,000 which continues to sit there, uninvested.
So today, I have a recommendation. While they’re down, I would say that tech stocks offer some solid long-term hold options. If you know where to look. And luckily for you, I do!
Open Text
If you’re going to find tech stocks to hold, they have to stand the test of time. One of those companies is Open Text (TSX:OTEX). The enterprise software company has been around for decades. It’s one of the tech stocks that also doesn’t depend on one source of revenue. Instead, it creates partnerships with some of the biggest brands out there, which should endure for years, if not decades.
Now, the company has moved from these major partnerships to supporting the work that it’s cut out for. This has meant rolling out new upgrades, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Open Text stock is now a strong company with a solid balance sheet, low risk tolerance score, and strong buy recommendation by analysts.
Shares of Open Text stock are down 12% in the last year, but again, we’re thinking long term. In that case, Open Text has climbed 951% in the last two decades! That’s a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5% as of writing. So, this is certainly a strong contender if you’re looking for long-term tech stocks to hold.
CGI
Another solid, low-risk option is CGI (TSX:GIB.A). CGI stock has long been outperforming analyst estimates thanks to its strategy of buying, selling, and reinvigorating tech companies. It will pick them up on the cheap, only to turn them around and out in better shape than before. This coupled with its business consulting and IT solutions makes it a strong choice that will remain relevant for decades.
This was seen during its latest earnings report, with revenue up 11.6% to $3.5 billion year over year. Net earnings were up 4.1% as well, with diluted earnings per share (EPS) climbing by 7.4% compared to the year before. Yet, it still has a $25 billion backlog to look forward to!
Again, CGI stock has also been around for decades. In the last year, shares are up by 18.6%. However, in the last two decades, it’s up an insanely impressive 1,648%! That’s a CAGR of 15.4% during that time.
Bottom line
Not all tech stocks are risky. In fact, both of these tech stocks are low-risk options that continue to beat out analyst estimates. They’ve been around for decades, with a future outlook that proves they’ll be around for decades more. So long-term holders would certainly do well to consider them in their portfolio.
