Apple and Cisco could generate surprising gains over the next few years.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average ( ^DJI 0.45% ) index, which includes the 30 most prominent companies in the U.S., is used by some as a benchmark of the American economy. Over the past 10 years, the Dow advanced about 135%, even as the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, rising interest rates, and other macro headwinds rattled the markets.

Also, over that decade, some well-known companies, including General Electric , ExxonMobil , Pfizer , and Intel , were removed from the index and replaced by higher-growth companies, including Amazon , Salesforce , and Nvidia .

But despite those occasional changes, the Dow remains a good starting point for seeking out some promising long-term investments. Today, I

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