Building a long-term portfolio takes more than a “buy-and-hold” strategy. Investors have to own resilient businesses with sustainable competitive advantage to grow through market cycles. Here are five blue-chip stocks that have struck a balance between having a durable business model and growth drivers.

DBS Group Holdings Ltd (SGX: D05)

DBS is Southeast Asia’s largest bank providing a range of services such as consumer banking, wealth management and corporate banking across the region. For the first quarter of its financial year 2026 ended on 31 March 2026 (1Q2026), the bank reported a growth in total income by 1% year-over-year (YoY) to a record high S$5.95 billion. DBS also saw a 1% YoY rise in net profit to S$2.93 billion. This strong financial performance can be attributed to record wealth management fees, higher transaction services fees and stronger markets trading income. The bank’s wealth management fee income climbed 25% YoY to a record S$907 million. Another driver was DBS’s strong deposit growth and hedging strategies...