<div id="readability-page-1">The stock market can be both very exciting and very boring. However, it’s almost 100% certain that investors who play the long game have been rewarded with greater returns than short-term investors throughout the history of the stock market. The tortoise usually beats the hare and buying boring stocks is often the way to win the long game. Sure, chasing massive overnight returns is exciting but it’s also dangerous. The steady predictable returns of a long-term strategy are also exciting, just in a different way. For investors who prefer predictability over the chance of huge success at the risk of massive losses — which is most investors — playing the long game is the way to go. <h2>Coca-Cola (KO)</h2> <div id="1445988"><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://investorplace.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="300" height="169" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://investorplace.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif"/>Source: Elvan / Shutterstock.com</div>Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO) is one of Warren Buffett’s favorite stocks and one of the most obvious investments for reliable long-term gains. Warren Buffett loves Coca-Cola stock because it is consistent. I don’t mean consistent in terms of Coca-Cola having a uniform product, although it very clearly does. Instead, I mean in terms of financial performance. That consistency manifests as something known as durable competitive advantage, which is identifiable in Coke’s gross margin percentages. Companies that consistently maintain gross margin percentages above 40% are said to have a durable competitive advantage. Coca-Cola has been above 60% on average over the last decade with little variance. What that means is the company makes a lot of money for every unit sold and has very little in the way of overhead. That allows the company to pay dividends and invest in share buybacks which increase earnings for investors. That’s really why Coca-Cola continues to win the long game and that isn’t going to change anytime soon. <h2>Nvidia (NVDA)</h2> <div id="2230692"><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://investorplace.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="300" height="169" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://investorplace.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif"/>Source: Michael Vi / Shutterstock.com</div>Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) is the very opposite of a boring stock, which is why I’ll have to caveat everything I say hereafter. However, I’ve chosen to discuss it because I think it has a very good chance of winning the long game. Nvidia also possesses a massive competitive advantage although not one that has endured as long as Coca-Cola’s. At least not yet. The leading chip maker benefits from huge gross margins, among the very highest in the tech sector. That’s no surprise to anyone who’s paid any attention to Nvidia over the last few years. The semiconductor stock benefits from extreme pricing advantages simply because it produces the best AI chips. It follows then that the company has extremely high margins. Here’s the important point: If Nvidia can continue its dominance in that regard then it has every chance of winning the long game. There’s no better predictor of long-term success for an individual company than high gross margins. For that reason we have to assume that Nvidia has a chance for incredible long-term success despite the fact that tech companies have historically struggled to maintain such success. <h2>Tyler Technologies (TYL)</h2> <div id="2302420"><img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://investorplace.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="300" height="169" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://investorplace.com/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif"/>Source: Casimiro PT/ Shutterstock.com</div>Tyler Technologies (NYSE:TYL) provides information management software to the public sector. There is little arguing that it is a boring company and a boring stock. That said, it’s a good investment for those who want to win the long game. Like the other two stocks above, Tyler Technologies benefits from a durable competitive advantage. There are also a lot of positives to be found within the company’s recent financial reports. Revenues grew by 8.6% during the first quarter. What’s particularly important to note is that the company generates a substantial percentage of revenues on a recurring basis as a software firm. 84% of overall revenues were recurring, accounting for $430.5 million of sales. Software firms are particularly attractive for that reason: the sales team essentially has to make one sale and then watch the benefits from a long stream of subscription revenue flow through. That’s what makes software firms so attractive in comparison to hardware firms. You and I may have zero interest in public sector software but it makes a lot of sense as an investment. On the date of publication, Alex Sirois did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines. Alex Sirois is a freelance contributor to InvestorPlace whose personal stock investing style is focused on long-term, buy-and-hold, wealth-building stock picks. Having worked in several industries from e-commerce to translation to education and utilizing his MBA from George Washington University, he brings a diverse set of skills through which he filters his writing.Growth Stocks </div>

Investors who play the long game in the stock market are likely to be rewarded with greater returns. Coca-Cola, Nvidia, and Tyler Technologies are three stocks that offer potential for long-term success. Coca-Cola has a consistent financial performance and a durable competitive advantage. Nvidia benefits from high gross margins and dominance in AI chips. Tyler Technologies generates significant recurring revenue as a software firm. These stocks provide steady and predictable returns for investors.

3 Boring Stocks to Buy if You Want to Win the Long Game