Despite recent volatility, the S&P 500‘s still climbed 8.5% so far in 2026. Over 12 months, it’s up 27%. So overall, it’s done pretty well. Not that you’d know from looking at the coverage.

The old saying that stock markets climb a wall of worry is as true today as it ever was, as the oil price climbs, inflation threatens and the Iran war drags on. There was plenty to worry about last year too, when Donald Trump’s tariffs rattled the global economy.

2022 was no picnic either, with Russia invading Ukraine and the oil price spiking. 2020 gave us the pandemic. Yet over five years, the S&P 500’s up 79%. Or around to 85% with dividends reinvested.

Can stock markets make me rich too?

At The Twelfth Magpie, we see investing as a long-term thing. While stock markets can be volatile in the short run, over time returns beat every major asset class. British investors can tap into that success by contributing to a Stocks and Shares ISA.

But here’s the thing. We don’t see five years as the longer run. I’m not sure we see 10 years as the long run. With luck and good health, most of us can expect to be working for 40 or 45 years, and these days possibly longer. Now that’s the long term.

Over 40 years, the S&P 500 has delivered an average annual return of 11.81%. Let’s say somebody invested £10,000 in the index back in May 1986. There weren’t so many tracker funds around then, but this is a theoretical exercise. Today, they’d have a meaty £869,412. That’s a stunning increase of 8,594%.

Now let’s say they also contributed £200 a month during that time. In that case, they’d have a whopping £2.8m. Annual fees will have eroded that return, but it does show the long-term wealth building power of shares.

Building a portfolio of individual stocks can turbo-charge returns, albeit with a bit more risk. I can see plenty on the FTSE 100 I’d consider buying today with a view to holding for years, ideally decades.

Should I consider this blue-chip?

In fact, I recently snapped one of them up – Asia-focused bank HSBC Holdings (LSE: HSBA). It’s up an impressive 51% over the last year, and a thumping 198% over five. Dividends are on top, with the trailing yield 4.1% today.

Many investors underestimate the power of dividends but over time, they typically account for at least half the total return from the FTSE 100. That assumes you reinvest them straight back into the stock, to benefit from the compounding effect. You can withdraw them as income once you retire.

The HSBC share price can be volatile too. On 5 May, it fell 5.2%, despite the bank posting a 4% increase in Q1 revenue to $19.1bn. Rising costs and credit losses meant profits came in flat. Share buybacks remain on hold. But I decided the stock was due a breather after such a mighty run, and took advantage of the dip to get in at a cheaper price.

And I think HSBC’s still worth considering today, as part of a wider portfolio of at least a dozen stocks. Having taken the plunge, I might buy more of its shares.

Should you invest £5,000 in HSBC Holdings right now?

When investing expert Mark Rogers and his team have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Twelfth Magpie Share Advisor newsletter he has run for nearly a decade has provided thousands of paying members with top stock recommendations from the UK and US markets.

And right now, Mark thinks there are 6 standout stocks that investors should consider buying. Want to see if HSBC Holdings made the list?

Harvey Jones owns shares in HSBC Holdings