My 3 Favorite Stocks to Buy Right Now

Is now the right time to buy stocks?

While there may be pluses and minuses to buying in the current market, it's really a trick question, because any time is the best time to buy stocks. You build wealth by consistently investing in the stock market through ups and downs, inflation and crashes, and even when it's at a high. The key element in this strategy is staying the course through thick and thin for many years.

If you're looking for stocks to buy today, Shopify (NASDAQ: SHOP), Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS), and Carnival (NYSE: CCL)(NYSE: CUK) are three excellent choices.

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1. Shopify: Winning in e-commerce

Shopify has had its ups and downs, but it's managed effectively in challenging times and has been on the upswing for a while. Management has made hard decisions to get back onto the growth track, inspiring confidence that it can weather storms and come out on top. That's what's happening today, and there are so many growth drivers that should propel it forward for years to come.

As these growth drivers come together, revenue growth has been accelerating, and sales were up 31% year over year in the 2025 second quarter. It's scaling profitably, and operating income increased from $241 million to $291 million in the quarter, while free cash flow increased from $333 million to $422 million.

As e-commerce continues to increase as a percentage of retail sales, Shopify is enjoying organic growth. It accounts for more than 12% of total U.S. e-commerce sales, but that could increase as Shopify gains more clients and expands its platform.

Shopify has already moved from an e-commerce focus to a total commerce focus, providing omnichannel services that make the platform more attractive for omnichannel retailers. It also offers a large assortment of individual products that appeal to many enterprise clients, including names you know, such as Nestle and Starbucks.

Shopify stock is up 55% this year, and it has a long growth runway.

2. Dutch Bros: An easy path toward growth

Dutch Bros has become a coffee sensation, impressing customers with its distinctive custom-crafted beverages and friendly customer service. It has carved out a niche with its focus on cold beverages and drive-thru locations, and it has been opening new stores rapidly.

That will get even faster as management has stated a new goal of reaching 2,029 stores by 2029, which implies about 1,000 new stores over the next four years. The math is easy, and about 250 new stores annually is a huge jump from the current expansion rate of about 160 new stores expected in 2025.

Management has been restructuring its real estate strategy, and that could result in accelerated openings as it fine-tunes the approach. Long-term, management sees the opportunity to open 7,000 stores, up from just over 1,000 today.

If it can meet those goals, it's a simple path to generate much higher sales. Sales growth is already robust at 28% year over year in the 2025 second quarter, driven by both new stores and same-store sales. Same-store sales were up 6.1% over last year in the quarter, and that jumps to 7.8% for company-operated shops -- the others are franchises.

As a young company in growth mode, Dutch Bros is an exciting story to watch, and arguably an even better one to invest in.

3. Carnival: The turnaround superstar

Carnival has been hitting new records every quarter, and demand is still incredibly strong for its luxury cruises. It's already the largest cruise company in the world, with 90 ships and the largest reach in the Caribbean, Alaska, and Europe, but it's purchasing new ships and adding new destinations to keep its dominant position in the luxury cruise space.

Customers can't get enough. The 2025 fiscal third quarter (ended Aug. 31) was the 10th straight quarter of record revenue, and Carnival's deposits reached a third-quarter record of $7.1 billion, or $2.2 billion more than last year. Half of 2026 is already booked at high ticket prices, and occupancy rates are historically high.

Carnival's debt is $26.5 billion, and that financial risk is keeping the stock's valuation low. Carnival stock trades at under 12 times forward, one-year earnings. But management is prudently paying down the debt and refinancing at newly low interest rates, so now should be a great time to buy before it's in even better financial shape and the stock skyrockets.

Jennifer Saibil has positions in Dutch Bros. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Shopify and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends Carnival Corp., Dutch Bros, and Nestlé. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.