3 Compelling Stocks to Invest in Now for 2026 Growth

Even as equity markets hover at record levels, there’s no reason to sit on the sidelines. In fact, the current landscape presents several compelling opportunities for discerning investors. If you have $10,000 to deploy, consider this an ideal moment to build positions in three distinct businesses that exemplify different paths to strong returns. Nvidia, MercadoLibre, and The Trade Desk represent three distinctly different investment theses—each tapping into powerful secular trends that are reshaping their respective industries.

The AI Leadership Play: Why Nvidia Remains a Core Growth Stock

Nvidia has earned its position as the world’s most valuable company through its dominance in graphics processing units that power artificial intelligence infrastructure. The company’s chips have become the foundational technology for training and deploying generative AI models across enterprises globally. Yet the growth story is far from over.

Demand for AI computing capacity remains robust, and industry analysts project that Nvidia will sustain its impressive trajectory through 2027. For the fiscal year ending January 2027, the consensus expectation is 50% revenue growth—a remarkable acceleration for a business already operating at enormous scale. This expansion is being driven by accelerating capital expenditures from AI hyperscalers combined with the rollout of its next-generation Rubin architecture.

Few companies have ever maintained such elevated growth rates, especially those at Nvidia’s market size. The combination of structural demand tailwinds and product innovation suggests that 2026 could deliver another chapter of exceptional value creation for shareholders willing to establish positions now.

Unlocking Dual Growth Opportunities in Latin America with MercadoLibre

While less recognized globally than Nvidia, MercadoLibre has engineered an equally impressive business across Latin America. The platform often draws comparisons to Amazon due to its vast e-commerce ecosystem and sophisticated logistics network capable of same-day or next-day delivery in major markets.

However, this parallel obscures a critical advantage. When Amazon scaled, the U.S. already possessed mature digital payment infrastructure. MercadoLibre encountered no such foundation in Latin America, so it constructed its fintech capabilities from scratch. This dual-engine model—combining e-commerce with financial services—mirrors two of the most powerful growth themes the U.S. experienced over recent decades. For investors, this means tapping into proven business models still in their early innings across an emerging market.

MercadoLibre has delivered years of market-beating performance, yet the stock recently retreated nearly 20% from its all-time highs. Given how infrequently this equity becomes available at discounted valuations, the current environment presents a rare window to accumulate shares at attractive entry points.

The Valuation Reset: The Trade Desk as a Contrarian Pick

The Trade Desk rounds out this trio, though it occupies a distinctly different position in the current cycle. Unlike its peers, this advertising technology platform stumbled through 2025, particularly when introducing its new AI-powered advertising system. Integration challenges have required management attention, and near-term execution remains uncertain.

However, the underlying business resilience is evident. The company retained 95% of its customer base during Q3 2024, a retention rate that has proven consistent across 11 consecutive years. Revenue still grew 18%, albeit the slowest pace in company history apart from a COVID-disrupted quarter. This apparent weakness masks an important detail: Q3 2024 benefited from extraordinary political advertising spending that simply did not recur in 2025, creating an especially difficult year-over-year comparison.

Beneath the surface, The Trade Desk remains fundamentally sound—a growing company still expanding faster than the broad market. More compelling for value-conscious investors, it trades at just 18 times forward earnings, versus 22.4 times for the S&P 500. When you can purchase a faster-growing business at a lower valuation multiple, the opportunity becomes difficult to ignore. Many investors expect a meaningful recovery through 2026 as comparisons normalize.

How These Three Stocks Serve Different Investment Strategies

What makes this trio attractive is their complementary nature. Nvidia provides exposure to the transformative artificial intelligence trend reshaping technology and productivity. MercadoLibre delivers emerging market growth with a modern fintech overlay. The Trade Desk offers disciplined value investing in a temporarily unloved corner of the digital advertising sector.

Together, they represent stocks to invest in now that align with different risk tolerances and time horizons. Whether you’re seeking growth momentum, international opportunity, or compelling valuation, these three provide distinct but equally compelling entry points for capital deployment in the coming months.