In this article, we will list the Top 5 Stocks to Buy for Long Term. Please visit Top 10 Stocks to Buy for Long Term if you would like to see the extended list and the methodology behind it.
5. Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY)
Stock Upside Potential: 36.70%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 132
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is one of the top long-term stocks to buy. On May 25, Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) delivered positive Phase 1b Heart-2 study results for VERVE-102, an investigational base-editing therapy designed to deactivate the PCSK9 gene in the liver.
The trial results show that VERVE-102 successfully reduced PCSK9 by up to 88% and LDL-C by up to 62%. The investigational drug was well tolerated across all dose levels, with no related adverse events or dose-limiting toxicities. The top-line results indicate that the candidate drug could offer a novel approach for achieving substantial and durable LDL-C reduction with a one-time treatment.
Eli Lilly senior vice president and co-founder of Verve Therapeutics, Sekar Kathiresan, insists the trial results affirm that a single dose of VERVE-102 may mimic the LDL-C-lowering effects of PCSK9 cardioprotective variants. Consequently, it could transform cardiovascular care from chronic management to one-time treatment.
The US Food and Drug Administration has already granted Fast Track designation for VERVE-102 for the reduction of LDL-C in participants with hyperlipidemia and high lifetime cardiovascular risk.
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) is a global pharmaceutical leader that discovers, develops, and manufactures innovative prescription medicines. The company focuses on breakthrough treatments for critical conditions, primarily in cardiometabolic diseases (diabetes and obesity), oncology, immunology, and neuroscience.
4. Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG)
Stock Upside Potential: 37.49%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 95
Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) is one of the top stocks to buy for the long-term. On May 8, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) completed the sale of $750 million of 5.375% Senior Notes. The notes are to mature in May 2036 unless redeemed or repurchased earlier.
Earlier on April 29, Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated a Neutral rating on Booking Holdings and lowered the price target to $175 from $180. The price target cut came on the heels of the company delivering first-quarter results with room nights and gross bookings below estimates by 1%. The underperformance came as the company felt a 2% impact of the Middle East conflict.
Nevertheless, gross bookings grew 15% compared to Q1 of 2025, while revenue grew 16%. Net income and adjusted EBITDA grew by 225% and 19%, respectively. According to its Chief Executive Officer, the results affirm the business’s resilience and execution discipline.
Amid near-term uncertainty triggered by the Middle East conflict, Booking Holdings remains focused on advancing Connected Trip’s vision, expanding its global reach, and leveraging Generative AI to enhance value for travelers and partners.
Booking Holdings is the world’s leading provider of online travel and related services. The company operates a high-frequency digital marketplace that connects global travel demand with supply-side partners (hotels, airlines, car rentals, and restaurants). It generates revenue through commissions, payment facilitation, and advertising sales.
3. Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM)
Stock Upside Potential: 41.85%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 101
Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is one of the top stocks to buy for the long-term. On May 20, Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) selected TTEC Holding’s division, TTEC Digital, as one of the partners of its newly launched Forward Deployed Engineering partner network.
The network integrates companies with the expertise needed to scale Salesforce’s Agentforce AI agent technology from pilot programs to production-ready solutions. It consists of firms that leverage the company’s internal engineering standards and specialized training to help clients implement AI agent solutions in complex enterprise environments.
The partner ecosystem has enabled Salesforce to help its customers win in the agentic era. For starters, it provides customers with engineering depth and confidence to move solutions from pilot to production and achieve business outcomes.
On May 22, TD Cowen reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and a $250 price target. The positive stance is in response to what the firm believes is a strong demand for data cloud, as Agentforce adoption continues to grow.
Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM) is a cloud-based software company best known for its world-leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. Its primary goal is to help businesses manage customer data, automate operations, and track interactions across departments including sales, customer service, marketing, and e-commerce in a single centralized hub.
2. NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA)
Stock Upside Potential: 42.32%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 275
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) is one of the top stocks to buy for the long-term. On May 21, Baird reiterated an Outperform rating on NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) and raised the price target to $500 from $300. The price target hike is in response to impressive first-quarter results that showed significant growth, as the company benefits from growth in Hyperscale artificial intelligence capex.
The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Jensen Huang, has already reiterated that the company is well-positioned to capitalize on the build-out of AI factories. The executive expects the company to keep up its blockbuster growth and achieve $1 trillion in sales from its flagship AI chips. “We should be growing faster than hyperscale capex,” Huang said.
NVIDIA achieved an 85% year-over-year revenue increase in Q1 to $81.62 billion. It expects the growth momentum to continue in Q2, with revenue projected at $91 billion, plus or minus 2%. Net income in the first quarter was up 139% to $45.54 billion, translating to diluted earnings per share of $1.87.
NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ:NVDA) designs and manufactures specialized computer chips—primarily GPUs (Graphics Processing Units)—that power the world’s most demanding computing tasks. While originally famous for rendering high-end video game graphics, Nvidia is now the global backbone for Artificial Intelligence (AI), data centers, and advanced robotics.
1. Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP)
Stock Upside Potential: 52.45%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 88
Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) is one of the top stocks to buy for the long-term. On May 20, Piper Sandler reiterated an Overweight rating on Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) and a $150 price target. The bullish stance contrasts with the stock’s underperformance and decline of over 30% over the past six months.
The research firm remains optimistic about the company’s long-term prospects, as Sidekick use is up by 100%-200% among expert merchants. Sidekick is Shopify’s built-in AI commerce assistant that executes tasks, generates reports, and edits store settings. While net new business slowed in the first quarter, it has shown signs of improvement in the second quarter.
In the first quarter, Shopify exceeded expectations, with gross merchandise volume growing 35% year over year. Operating margin improved 12.1% as revenue growth reached multi-year highs of 34%, with free cash flow margins of 15%.
Shopify Inc. (NASDAQ:SHOP) is a cloud-based e-commerce platform that allows individuals and businesses to create, customize, and manage their own online stores. It provides the digital infrastructure to sell physical and digital products across multiple channels, process payments, track inventory, and manage shipping.
While we acknowledge the potential of SHOP 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 SHOP and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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