If you consider yourself a long-term investor, the current downturn in the market will probably turn out to be a terrific long-term buying opportunity, provided you pick the right stocks. With many high-quality stocks still down well below their February highs, remember this Warren Buffett quote: "Time is the friend of the wonderful company, the enemy of the mediocre."
If there were any time to look at true "set it and forget it" stocks that allow you to sleep well at night, that time is now. What types of stocks are these? Companies with both the financial strength to power through the current crisis, and enough promising growth opportunities to propel them over the coming decades.
In that light, here are three stocks to buy today with a 50-year time horizon.