Investors are enjoying the ongoing bull run. The S 500 and Nasdaq Composite recently hit all-time highs. Though that's pretty exciting, bull markets don't last forever. Equities that can perform well in good times are great. Those that can perform well over the long run, through bull and bear markets, economic peaks and lows, are even better.

Let's look at two excellent stocks that ought to deliver solid returns well beyond the current bull market: (NYSE: MDT) and Merck (NYSE: MRK).

Medtronic is a leading medical device company. The healthcare giant has a vast portfolio of dozens of products across four main therapeutic areas: diabetes care, cardiovascular health, neuroscience, and medical surgical. Medtronic also does business in more than 150 countries. While diversification can have drawbacks -- it can spread a company's resources too thin -- it also has its perks. Medtronic's diversified operations can allow it to perform reasonably well overall even when certain parts of its business aren't.

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Source Fool.com