2 UK shares I would be happy to own if the stock market closed for ten years

Warren Buffett says investors should look for businesses they would enjoy owning if the stock market closes in the next decade. However, those are not easy to find.

A lot has happened in 10 years. But there are a few candidates for it FTSE 100 as well as FTSE 250 which I would like to own in my portfolio, even if I could not sell them soon.

Will the stock market be closed?

It is unlikely that the stock market will close in the next decade. But thinking about which stocks I would like to own if that were the case is the key to investing correctly.

As Buffett points out, investing is not about buying a stock at one price and selling it at a higher price. It is about looking at the underlying business to provide a return from its earnings.

Companies can continue to make money and distribute it to investors even if their shares are not sold. So investing does not need an active stock market to be successful.

Focusing on what I would like to own if the stock market is closed is a way to make sure I'm investing instead of buying what I'm trying to sell. So which stocks look attractive?

A permanent mark

Coca-Cola HBC (LSE:CCH) bottles and distributes Coca-Cola products in countries including Greece, Nigeria, and Ireland. And it's a stock I'd be happy to own for 10 years without selling.

The company benefits from the longevity of Coke a symbol. But this comes with a significant risk that US business will raise prices for its distributors – as it did in the 1970s and 1980s.

To some extent, the power of conflict still exists today. But things are a little different – the Coca-Cola company is the largest shareholder in Coca-Cola HBC, with about 20% of the shares.

I think it's understandable these days that both sides rely on each other. And the American giant's unrivaled marketing budget means that if I own shares in the bottling business, I'd be happy to keep them.

Long lasting demand

There's a lot I don't know about what things will be like ten years from now. But I am optimistic that the UK will continue to build houses and that demand for bricks will be strong as a result.

That's why I can be comfortable being an owner Ibstock (LSE:IBST) even if the stock market were to be closed for the next 10 years. Simply put, it is the largest brick manufacturer in the UK.

The company's biggest risk is probably inflation. Higher energy, labor and material costs can all have a significant impact on the margins of a business like Ibstock.

Source: Ibstock Interim Trading Update 2024

However, the UK brick market is structurally under-supplied. And while I don't know what sales will look like in any given year, I would expect it to be strong within a decade.

Investing for the long term

In my opinion, the most important thing when investing in the long term is whether the company will still exist. And Coca-Cola HBC and Ibstock look like very long-term businesses to me.

I don't own any stocks yet, but I'm very much looking to add one of them to my portfolio. Right now, I'm still looking at which one looks more attractive at today's prices.