On June 16, Stephanie Link, Hightower Advisors’ chief investment strategist and portfolio manager, joined CNBC’s ‘Squawk Box’ to discuss the latest market trends. Link discussed how she was trying to navigate the situation, now that a major conflict in the Middle East had emerged at the time, and thereby acknowledged that some weeks were difficult. She felt they were gradually resolving many uncertainties, despite the ongoing issues, which could still lead to significant developments. She highlighted progress in addressing concerns such as inflation and noted that while it was not yet at the Fed’s target for rate cuts, it had significantly decreased from 9% 2.5 years ago to 2.1% now. Link also mentioned that tariffs seemed less threatening.
She also pointed out that the GDP remained robust. The Atlanta Fed tracker indicated a 3.8% growth rate the week before. Link suggested smoothing out the GDP figures by averaging the first and second quarters, which would result in ~2% growth. Link also acknowledged that defense stocks had seen increased interest the week before, but she believed this was a temporary phenomenon. She emphasized that investment decisions in energy or defense should not be solely based on the Middle East conflict. Link reiterated her two favorite themes for long-term investments: cybersecurity and AI. She anticipated massive consolidation within the cybersecurity industry and noted that there are 4,000 public and private cybersecurity companies, none of which communicate with each other. She even suggested that cybersecurity might become a larger sector than AI.
That being said, we’re here with a list of the 10 best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment.
A closeup of a person’s hand managing a portfolio of stocks on a graphically rich financial app interface.
Methodology
We sifted through the Finviz stock screener and financial media reports to compile a list of the top NYSE stocks that have grown their sales by over 15% in the past 3 years. We then selected the 10 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds and that analysts were bullish on. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q1 2025.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).
10 Best NYSE Stocks to Buy for Long Term Investment
10. Shift4 Payments Inc.(NYSE:FOUR)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 31.40%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 40
Shift4 Payments Inc.(NYSE:FOUR) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment. In May, UATP, which is a global payment network, announced a partnership with Shift4, which will involve Shift4 integrating UATP’s patented technology to enhance its payment infrastructure specifically for the global travel market.
UATP is a global payment solution collectively owned and operated by various airlines worldwide. It is widely accepted by thousands of merchants for payments related to air travel, rail services, and travel agencies. The network facilitates connections between airlines and Alternative Forms of Payment and broadens their reach and stimulates incremental sales globally.
UATP accounts are accepted for corporate business travel globally by airlines, travel agencies, and Amtrak. Accounts are currently issued by a range of airlines, which include Aeromexico, Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways (via AirPlus International), Delta Air Lines, Etihad Airways, Japan Airlines, Qantas Airways, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines.
Shift4 Payments Inc.(NYSE:FOUR) provides software and payment processing solutions in the US and internationally.
9. Hims & Hers Health Inc. (NYSE:HIMS)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 77.17%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41
Hims & Hers Health Inc. (NYSE:HIMS) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment. On June 3, Hims & Hers Health announced its agreement to acquire ZAVA, which is a leading European digital health platform. The acquisition will expand Hims & Hers’ international presence.
In the upcoming quarters, Hims & Hers plans to establish its own branded presence in European markets by using ZAVA’s robust platform. ZAVA currently serves over 1.3 million active customers and conducted ~2.3 million consultations in 2024 across the UK, Germany, France, and Ireland.
Hims & Hers intends to introduce a new dimension of personalized digital health in Europe and offer tailored care across dermatology, weight loss, sexual health, and mental health. The expansion will include access to British, German, and French healthcare providers who will deliver services in local languages to ensure a localized experience. While specific offerings and their rollout will be announced in the coming months, the deal is expected to commence by 2026.
Hims & Hers Health Inc. (NYSE:HIMS) is a telehealth platform that connects consumers to licensed healthcare professionals in the US, the UK, and internationally.
8. Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 20.00%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 61
Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment. On June 24, Coherent announced the introduction of its new ACE FL series. This thulium fiber laser/TFL system is engineered for therapeutic medical applications, with a primary focus on lithotripsy and the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia/BPH.
The two-micron ACE FL system offers greater procedural efficiency when compared to older laser technologies such as holmium:YAG systems. Thulium fiber lasers include superior cutting precision for BPH enucleation, which is a compact design to facilitate OEM integration, and improved energy efficiency.
The ACE FL platform uses proprietary fiber designs and manufacturing capabilities to offer OEM partners a scalable and high-performance solution for developing next-gen surgical tools. Coherent also simplifies integration by combining the power of the ACE FL series with its established disposable fiber assemblies. Coherent plans to showcase the ACE FL at the LASER World of Photonics Munich 2025 event.
Coherent Corp. (NYSE:COHR) develops, manufactures, and markets engineered materials, optoelectronic components & devices, and optical & laser systems and subsystems for the industrial, communications, electronics, and instrumentation markets.
7. HubSpot Inc. (NYSE:HUBS)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 24.41%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 61
HubSpot Inc. (NYSE:HUBS) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment. As May was coming to an end, MatrixPoint announced its collaboration with HubSpot by joining its Solutions Partner Program. The partnership will enhance customer engagement and expand CRM/Customer Relationship Management expertise..
The HubSpot Solutions Partner Program is a global network of experts providing services in marketing, sales, customer service, web design, CRM, and IT. This ecosystem emphasizes a customer-first approach for growth, which enables its members, like MatrixPoint, to offer a wider range of sophisticated solutions.
MatrixPoint is a results-driven media consultancy that empowers businesses to achieve more through marketing transformation and strategic growth. It will specifically expand its CRM practice through this partnership to help clients better use their customer data for more intelligent and personalized engagement.
HubSpot Inc. (NYSE:HUBS) provides a cloud-based CRM platform for businesses in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific.
6. Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 19.12%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 62
Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment. On June 23, Celestica unveiled its new ES1500 enterprise campus switch. This 1U device features up to 48 ports, each supporting 2.5GbE, with an optional Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) capability.
It’s designed for the enterprise edge, particularly for new edge IoT and edge-AI applications. The ES1500 offers up to 220 Gbps of non-blocking switching capacity and provides port speeds up to 2.5x faster than Celestica’s traditional ES1000 GbE model. It is built from the ground up to address the unique requirements of modern IT infrastructure across many different environments.
The ES1500 utilizes a powerful Marvell AC5X switch chipset for its performance and can also be equipped with an optional Intel Atom x86 CPU for advanced network functions, which is available in 4-core or 8-core configurations.
Celestica Inc. (NYSE:CLS) provides supply chain solutions and operates through two segments: Advanced Technology Solutions and Connectivity & Cloud Solutions.
5. Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:NET)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 34.31%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 65
Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:NET) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment. On July 1, Cloudflare launched a significant AI Crawler Blocking feature, which gives website owners greater control over how AI models access their content. The initiative, together with the introduction of Cloudflare Log Explorer, aims to support content security.
Starting from July 1, every new web domain that signs up for Cloudflare will be prompted to choose whether to allow or block AI crawlers by default. This gives website owners the power to prevent AI bots from scraping data from their sites. Cloudflare also introduced a new “pay per crawl” model, which allows publishers to charge AI crawlers for content access.
AI crawlers are automated bots designed to extract vast amounts of data from websites and other sources to train LLMs developed by big tech companies. The new default blocking builds upon a tool Cloudflare introduced in September last year, which allowed publishers to block AI crawlers with a single click. Additionally, Cloudflare has made its Log Explorer tool generally available as of June 18. The tool provides businesses with access to security and performance insights by allowing them to analyze, investigate, and monitor logs directly within the Cloudflare Dashboard.
Cloudflare Inc. (NYSE:NET) is a cloud services provider that delivers a range of services to businesses.
4. Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 15.59%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 68
Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long-term investment. On June 25, OneSubsea, which is a joint venture of global technology company SLB, announced that it had secured an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction/EPC contract from Equinor for Phase 2 of the Northern Lights carbon capture and storage/CCS project offshore Norway.
This contract marks a significant progression for the project, following the final investment decision/FID made by Northern Lights’ owners (TotalEnergies, Shell, and Equinor) and a commercial agreement with an end-use customer. With the completion of Phase 2, the project’s capacity is set to expand significantly, from its initial 1.5 million tonnes/mt of CO₂ per year to a minimum of 5 mt per year.
The scope of the contract awarded to SLB OneSubsea includes the engineering and construction of two new satellite subsea CO₂ injection systems along with their associated tie-in equipment. Project work has already commenced, with initial deliveries anticipated in 2026.
Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB) provides technology for the energy industry worldwide.
3. Arista Networks Inc. (NYSE:ANET)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 33.05%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 75
Arista Networks Inc. (NYSE:ANET) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment. On July 1, Arista Networks expanded its AI-driven enterprise offerings. The expansion includes new switching, Wi-Fi 7 access points, and WAN capabilities. Concurrently, Arista acquired the VeloCloud SD-WAN portfolio from Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO).
Organizations are increasingly adopting a centers-of-data strategy to connect AI algorithms and models with distributed data stores. Arista is addressing this with an expanding suite of hardware and software solutions. This commitment contributed to Arista Networks being recognized in the Visionaries Quadrant of the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure, published on June 26. In the report, Gartner positioned Arista Networks as the vendor with the highest Ability to Execute within the Visionaries Quadrant.
Arista’s acquisition of VeloCloud is designed to enhance branch connectivity. VeloCloud provides cloud-delivered SD-WAN solutions with integrated security, which complements Arista’s existing wired and wireless switching portfolio. The VeloCloud solutions encompass edge hardware platforms that feature integrated secure firewalling and application-optimized SD-WAN.
Arista Networks Inc. (NYSE:ANET) develops, markets, and sells data-driven and client-to-cloud networking solutions for AI, data center, campus, and routing environments internationally.
2. Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 18.48%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 90
Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment. On June 11, Vertiv announced the release of its energy-efficient 142kW cooling and power reference architecture specifically designed for the NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 platform. The design offers fully integrated and end-to-end cooling and power strategies.
Vertiv’s solutions are also available as SimReady 3D assets within the NVIDIA Omniverse Blueprint for AI factory design and operations, which allows for customized data center designs that reduce planning times and mitigate risks during the construction phase.
The development aligns with Vertiv’s ongoing collaboration with NVIDIA, where, in part, Vertiv is actively supporting 800 VDC data center power infrastructure for 1 MW IT racks and beyond, with solutions expected to be available starting in 2026. The reference architecture for the NVIDIA GB300 NVL72 is a key component of the Vertiv™360AI infrastructure platform, which guides customers in integrating solutions for powering and cooling AI workloads and other HPC applications.
Vertiv Holdings Co. (NYSE:VRT) designs, manufactures, and services critical digital infrastructure technologies and life cycle services for data centers, communication networks, and commercial & industrial environments.
1. The Progressive Corporation (NYSE:PGR)
3-Year Revenue CAGR: 17.76%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 91
The Progressive Corporation (NYSE:PGR) is one of the best NYSE stocks to buy for long term investment. On June 2, Progressive Insurance unveiled “Open the House,” which is a new multi-year initiative aimed at advancing homeownership education and affordability, particularly for first-generation homebuyers.
One of the components of the initiative is the UpPayment program, which offers a $13,500 grant to up to 100 qualified first-generation homebuyers to remove some financial barriers like down payments. In 2024, Progressive Corporation allocated over $7 million to support families in purchasing, retaining, and building a lasting legacy through homeownership.
The “Open the House tour” will feature a “home on wheels” that travels to cultural events across the US in 2025 to educate prospective homebuyers. Additionally, the “Recipe for Homeownership” is a video series featuring financial wellness experts and special guests discussing homeownership and financial well-being. Later this summer, Progressive will launch “Home Appraisal Help,” which is an online resource developed in collaboration with The Appraisal Foundation to educate homeowners on the appraisal process and assist them in obtaining accurate home valuations.
While we acknowledge the potential of PGR to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than PGR and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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