In this article, we will take a look at the 12 Best Stocks to Buy Now for Long-Term Growth.
Stock markets fell on February 23 as President Trump moved ahead with new tariffs on US trading partners, despite a Supreme Court ruling and rising criticism from Americans. Concerns about the status of global trade treaties alarmed investors, causing a dip in US share prices, especially the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which fell 1.6% by the day’s close.
The President appeared to be doubling down on his tariff agenda, despite the fact that some countries with which Washington had negotiated trade accords in the previous year were now demanding further clarity on his levies.
Moreover, a Citrini Research report being discussed online has generated new concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence. The firm examined the long-term effects of the AI surge, outlining a scenario in which AI continues to advance, eventually proving damaging to the overall economy.
According to Citrini’s report, AI will soon affect the real estate sector, with once-high-earning professionals in pricey metro areas no longer able to purchase homes, causing a ripple effect in the mortgage industry. These negative developments would eventually culminate in a stock market catastrophe, with the S&P 500 plunging 38% from its October 2026 peak.
Our Methodology
For this list, we used stock screeners to identify stocks with long-term growth, defined as 5-year revenue growth rates exceeding 25%. We limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. These stocks are also popular among analysts and elite hedge funds.
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 427.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 264 percentage points (see more details here).
12. Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS)
Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. On February 13, Barclays raised Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) from Equalweight to Overweight while dropping its price target to $228 from $264. Barclays recognizes Zscaler’s outstanding net revenue retention rate of over 115%, which was made possible by strong up-selling and cross-selling efforts, and considers artificial intelligence as a potential benefit instead of a concern for the company.
The firm had originally downgraded Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) back in December 2025 after the company’s fiscal first-quarter 2026 earnings report, expressing concerns about growth stability and growing rivalry threat from market competitor Cloudflare, which threatens new client acquisition.
According to Barclays, Zscaler’s new customer growth contribution has dropped significantly from roughly two-thirds to about 30%. The firm thinks this might eventually limit the company’s ability to grow net revenue as growth among current customers hits its inherent limits.
Zscaler Inc. (NASDAQ:ZS) is a cloud-based security company that provides cybersecurity solutions by protecting user access to applications and data, regardless of location.
11. Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN)
Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) reported fourth-quarter 2025 results on February 12, indicating operational consistency throughout the entire portfolio despite missing earnings estimates. The casino operator announced a fourth-quarter adjusted property EBITDAR of $569 million, with a 30.5% margin, indicating relatively steady growth in 2025.
Despite a sharp drop in the win percentage from table games, Wynn Las Vegas maintained its market-leading performance with Q4 EBITDAR of $241 million. Meanwhile, Macau operations produced $271 million in Q4 EBITDAR, showing the region’s ongoing recovery.
The construction of Wynn Al Marjan Island in the United Arab Emirates, which is expected to open in the first quarter of 2027, continues to be Wynn’s foremost strategic project. The project hit a construction milestone in December 2025 with the topping out of the hotel tower, with interior work currently in progress.
Wynn Resorts, Limited (NASDAQ:WYNN) is a luxury hotel and casino operator known for providing premium resort experiences and running high-end properties in Boston, Macau, and Las Vegas.
10. Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET)
Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. On February 11, Baird raised its price target for Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) from $230 to $260, upgrading the company from Neutral to Outperform. The update came after Cloudflare’s fourth-quarter earnings, which Baird called the “strongest confirmation yet” that the company’s growth vectors are growing exponentially at the same time.
According to Baird, Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) showed enhanced go-to-market efficiency and execution advantages, with its net retention rate reaching 120%, signifying robust client growth. Despite a substantial rise in demand, the firm considers Cloudflare’s fiscal year 2026 guidance of 28–29% year-over-year growth to be “prudent”.
Baird claims that while hyperscaler disruption is occurring at the infrastructure layer, agentic-AI is providing Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) with a “step-function increase” in visitor numbers and monetization volume. Additionally, the firm cited “pool-of-funds adoption” as a means of establishing long-lasting spending patterns.
Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE:NET) is a cloud-based cybersecurity, connectivity, and website management company that also offers routing and developer security solutions. It operates in numerous main categories, including Security Solutions, Performance Enhancement, Reliability, Zero Trust Infrastructure, and others.
9. Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB)
Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. On February 13, Deutsche Bank raised its rating on Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) from Hold to Buy, with a target price of $154. The update comes after the company’s solid performance in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the company announcing a 10% increase in nights booked, beating Street’s forecast by 3.6% and recording its fastest growth in 2025.
Deutsche Bank identified two noteworthy product innovations that delivered more than 200 basis points of expansion, including the Reserve Now Pay Later (RNPL) option, which enhanced North American bookings, and a more straightforward fee structure for hosts, which reduced price friction.
According to the firm, Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) now expects double-digit revenue growth in 2026, driven by product acceleration from the latter half of 2025 and significant foreign exchange gains in the first half of 2026.
San Francisco-based Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) runs an online marketplace that links homeowners with travelers seeking accommodation.
8. Datadog, Inc. (NASDAQ:DDOG)
Datadog, Inc. (NASDAQ:DDOG) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. On February 11, Citizens reaffirmed a Market Perform rating on Datadog, Inc. (NASDAQ:DDOG), citing the company’s success across its three observation segments, including infrastructure monitoring, application performance monitoring (APM), and log management, each of which had exceeded $1 billion in annual recurring revenue (ARR).
Citizens observed an “acceleration of our core APM product into the mid-30s y/y” and stated that Datadog, Inc. (NASDAQ:DDOG) supplied “over 400 new features and capabilities” in 2025. The firm also cited Datadog’s recent eight-figure agreement with an AI specialist as an encouraging move for the company.
Despite these advantages, Citizens noted several potential pitfalls, including strong competition from 20 companies in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Observability (including emerging competitors) and client concentration at major AI research facilities.
Datadog, Inc. (NASDAQ:DDOG) is a software company that provides an observability solution built for cloud-scale applications, monitoring servers, databases, tools, and services via its SaaS-based data analytics platform.
7. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)
ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. UBS boosted its price target for ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) to $130 from $120 on February 8, remaining with a Buy rating on the company’s shares. The oil giant endured troubles during its most recent quarter, with EPS falling short of expectations due to lower output, while capital expenditures exceeded projections.
Barring these difficulties, ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) expects to be halfway through construction of its Willow project by the end of this construction season, with its multi-year exploratory effort in the area potentially delivering more than twice the amount of resource development.
With its current claims worth over $10 billion and the potential to produce within the region, provided the required protections are put in place, ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) seems to be the best-positioned exploration and production company to extract value from Venezuela, according to UBS.
ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is a global energy company headquartered in Texas that discovers, produces, transports, and trades crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas, and natural gas liquids.
6. Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN)
Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. On February 13, Needham reduced its price target for Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) from $290 to $230 while retaining a Buy rating on the company’s shares. The drop follows Coinbase’s most recent quarterly results, which were in line with the market’s expectations.
Needham expressed concern about bitcoin trading volatility in the first quarter of 2026, as well as management’s efforts to keep spending steady amid market challenges.
On the other hand, the firm noted that during the most recent market decline, Coinbase’s retail clients were net buyers. The firm also recognized Coinbase’s implementation of prediction markets, diversified revenue through additional assets, and stock buybacks. Needham added the expansion into global markets and derivatives as advantages, noting that Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) might further shift toward tokenizing tangible assets.
Coinbase Global Inc. (NASDAQ:COIN) is a leading US-based financial technology company that operates a major cryptocurrency exchange platform, enabling individuals and institutions to buy, sell, trade, store, and stake digital assets such as Bitcoin and Ethereum.
5. KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR)
KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. Following the release of the company’s fourth-quarter earnings report, Barclays reduced its price target for KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) to $136 from $159 while keeping an Overweight rating on February 6. KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) reported an adjusted net income per share of $1.12, which came in below analyst forecasts of $1.14. However, revenue outperformed projections, reaching $5.74 billion vs. the expected $2.11 billion.
KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) raised $28 billion in funds during the quarter, slightly below average projections. In addition, the company provided details regarding potential upcoming fundraising sources, among them Americas XIII, which is approaching completion, though Asia Private Equity and Global Infrastructure flagship funds continue to be on the market.
KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) management restated its forecast of $7+ earnings per share for fiscal year 2026 during the earnings call, though Barclays points out that this is mostly reliant on realizations rising sharply.
KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) is a leading global investment firm that manages multiple alternative asset classes, including private equity, credit, infrastructure, and real estate, with a significant presence in insurance solutions.
4. Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP)
Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long term growth. On February 12, Deutsche Bank reduced its price target for Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) to $175 from $195 while retaining a Buy rating on the company’s shares. The firm attributed the target revision to adjustments in earnings estimates for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, predominantly due to tax rates.
According to Deutsche Bank, Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) has been making concrete efforts to lead in “Agentic commerce,” which the firm feels merits a premium value, especially considering the company continues to exhibit momentum in its main long-term growth plans.
While some investors may be dissatisfied by the absence of a substantial rise in free cash flow margins and continuing expenditures, the firm further emphasized Shopify’s scaling of new customer acquisition features, such as Campaigns, which saw merchant use triple and revenue double in 2025.
Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) is a global commerce company that provides tools and software for businesses to sell products online, in stores, and through social media or marketplaces.
3. Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET)
Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. On February 13, Piper Sandler boosted its price target for Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) to $175 from $159, retaining an Overweight rating on the company’s shares. The upward revision came after Arista Networks’ quarterly results, which surpassed projections. The company generated $0.82 per share, which was higher than the forecast of $0.76, while posting $2.49 billion in revenue, which exceeded projections of $2.38 billion.
Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) has increased its annual growth projection to 25%, up 5 percentage points from the prior forecast, driven mostly by momentum in its Cloud and AI client bases.
Additionally, the company raised its AI revenue forecast by $500 million to $3.25 billion, or about 30% of its total revenue. Sometime this year, it could possibly have four customers generating more than 10% of revenue.
Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) is an American computer networking company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. The company specializes in developing and providing multilayer network switches that enable software-defined networking in large-scale data centers, cloud computing, and high-performance computing.
2. Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE:FLUT)
Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE:FLUT) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. UBS reduced Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE:FLUT)’s price target to $300 from $320 on February 10, retaining a Buy rating for the stock. The drop comes as UBS notes that Flutter’s equity outlook is being challenged by updated US online sports betting figures, which show a substantial decrease in overall growth compared to previous projections.
Despite these hurdles, UBS stated that Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE:FLUT) retains a strong global competitive edge, with the largest market share in most key regulated online gaming areas, and that the company’s long-term fundamental potential remains enormous.
Meanwhile, Citizens reduced its price target for Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE:FLUT) to $275 from $313 on January 22. Citizens criticized Flutter management’s “uncharacteristically bad performance” in December, despite their history as “top-notch” managers over the years of service.
According to state reporting data, Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE:FLUT) had “fairly decent gaming margins” in November and December, though these were insufficient to compensate for October’s disappointing results.
Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE:FLUT) operates as a sports betting and gaming company. It offers sportsbooks, iGaming products such as blackjack, roulette, slot machines, poker, and rummy, as well as lottery products, and sports betting products.
1. AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP)
AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP) ranks among the best stocks to buy now for long-term growth. Following AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP)’s fourth-quarter 2025 financial results, Benchmark reaffirmed its Buy rating and $775 price target for the stock on February 12. AppLovin’s revenue during the quarter totaled $1,658 million, exhibiting a 66% year-over-year growth plus 18% concurrent growth, beating consensus projections by about 3%.
With margins hitting a record 84%, the company also announced adjusted EBITDA of $1,399 million, increasing 82% year-over-year and topping expectations by almost 5%.
In a similar vein, Scotiabank retained its Sector Outperform rating on AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP) while increasing its price objective from $750 to $775. The firm stated that APP shares dropped by 6% in after-hours trade following the earnings release, despite the company’s impressive performance. The firm regarded the market reaction as unrelated to the company’s core performance.
AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ:APP) is a software-based advertising and app monetization company. It operates through two segments, Advertising and Apps. The company also develops and publishes free-to-play mobile games through its studios and partners.
While we acknowledge the potential of APP 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 APP and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
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