5 Best Growth Stocks to Buy and Hold for the Long Term

2. MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI)

MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) ranks among the best growth stocks to buy and hold for the long term. On February 25, Raymond James reduced its price target for MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) to $2,500 from $2,775 while retaining a Strong Buy rating on the company’s shares. According to the firm, MercadoLibre’s gross merchandise volume (GMV) of $19.8 billion came in above the street’s expectation of $19.0 billion, with Brazil recording 36% year-over-year growth.

With a $2 billion run-rate business at 2.6% of GMV, advertising income grew at an accelerated pace of 67%. Raymond James believes this is comparable to Amazon at roughly $70 billion and 7% of GMV.

Looking ahead to 2026, MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) has multiple tailwinds across both its e-commerce and fintech sectors, which should continue to drive robust top-line growth. That said, according to analysts, strategic growth initiatives may keep margins uncertain in the near term.

MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) is a Latin American e-commerce company with roots in Argentina. Its platform enables retail and wholesale transactions through online marketplaces and provides tools and services designed to help users complete and manage commercial transactions.