With Netflix's 10-for-1 Stock Split Complete, Here Are 3 Growth Stocks to Buy in December That Could Issue Stock Splits in 2026

Source Motley_fool

Key Points

  • Meta Platforms generates high cash flow and can afford to take risks on AI spending.

  • ASML's lithography machines are essential for manufacturing advanced AI chips.

  • Eli Lilly isn't cheap, but its drug portfolio is best in class.

  • 10 stocks we like better than Meta Platforms ›

Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) popped in early November after announcing a 10-for-1 stock split. With the split now complete, investors can buy one share of Netflix for around $100 rather than $1,000. However, there are also 10 times as many Netflix shares outstanding, so the value, or market capitalization, of the company, wasn't impacted by the stock split.

Still, stock splits carry several benefits, including increasing Netflix's chances of being added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, acting as a vote of confidence that management believes the stock price can grow over time, making it easier to trade options on a stock (which are typically in 100-share increments), and removing a psychological barrier that some investors may feel when buying stocks that are too high in price. For these reasons, stock splits generally garner favorable reactions from investors.

Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »

Here's why Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), ASML (NASDAQ: ASML), and Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) could issue stock splits in 2026, and why all three growth stocks are top buys in December.

A $1 U.S. coin is being cut in half on top of a note that reads “shares,” illustrating the concept of stock splits.

Image source: Getty Images.

Meta Platforms

Prediction: 5-for-1 stock split

In October, I predicted that Netflix and Meta Platforms would be Wall Street's two most promising stock splits in 2026. With Netflix's stock split in the books, the argument for Meta's split rings louder than ever.

Meta is the only member of the "Magnificent Seven" or "Ten Titans" to have never issued a stock split. And with 2026 marking the 14th year since the company's initial public offering, Meta is due for a split.

Meta generates stable cash flow from its family of apps -- Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Messenger. Digital advertising can ebb and flow with the broader economy, but Meta's analytics and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered algorithms help connect advertisers with potential buyers -- making its apps highly effective platforms for targeted advertising. Meta also makes it easy for customers to budget their ad spend, which keeps advertisers engaged even if they reduce their spending.

Advertising is far from a recession-resistant business, but Meta is a recession-resistant company because of its steadily growing engagement, exceptional balance sheet, and high free cash flow. In fact, Meta is such a cash cow that it can afford to lose billions on its Reality Labs division each quarter, invest in long-term AI initiatives, and even increase its dividend while supporting a massive buyback program.

If Meta does split its stock in 2026, it could soon replace Verizon Communications in the Dow.

ASML

Prediction: 10-for-1 stock split

ASML is around an all-time high with a share price of over $1,100 at the time of this writing. I could see ASML following Netflix's lead and issuing a 10-for-1 stock split in 2026.

The most important ingredient for issuing a forward stock split is having a clear runway for future earnings growth. ASML has that in spades.

The company has a monopoly on extreme ultraviolet (EUV) machines used in the lithography step of chip fabrication to print patterns onto silicon wafers. While deep ultraviolet (DUV) machines are used across semiconductor production, it's ASML's EUV machines that are required for the ultra-precise patterns needed for 7-nanometer (nm) and smaller nodes.

Next-generation graphics processing units (GPUs), such as Nvidia's Rubin and Advanced Micro Devices' Instinct MI450, will utilize Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing's 3nm and 2nm class processes. ASML's EUV machines, and increasingly its high numerical aperture (high-NA) EUV machines, will play integral roles in fabs that handle AI chip workloads.

In this vein, ASML is a straightforward way to bet on technological advancements in AI chips. ASML wins as long as the overall pie is growing -- it doesn't particularly care if AMD or Broadcom take market share from Nvidia or vice versa. For these reasons, ASML is my top AI stock to buy through 2030, and I could see it becoming Europe's first $1 trillion company by 2035.

Eli Lilly

Prediction: 5-for-1 stock split

Eli Lilly has been a breakout star -- surging over 600% in the last five years and briefly surpassing $1 trillion in market cap last month. Eli Lilly is now the most valuable healthcare company in the world, and the tenth most valuable U.S. company -- behind Berkshire Hathaway and ahead of Walmart.

Eli Lilly's surging stock price is largely driven by the success of its GLP-1 medications, Mounjaro and Zepbound, which impact appetite and blood sugar to treat diabetes and manage weight. Eli Lilly has other drugs in development that could further contribute to earnings growth. Consensus analyst estimates have Eli Lilly generating $23.69 in earnings per share in 2025 and then $32.18 in 2026 -- a 35.8% increase.

Eli Lilly is vulnerable to regulatory approvals, competition, and consumer demand. Another risk is converting research and development spending into profitable drugs. For these reasons, drugmakers can be volatile.

Still, Eli Lilly stands out as a prime candidate for a stock split in 2026. Its portfolio is diverse enough that it should still be able to grow earnings and reward shareholders over time. Healthcare is one of the most important sectors in the S&P 500 -- making up 9.8% of the index.

Although Eli Lilly's stock price is around the same level as Netflix's pre-split, I could see Eli Lilly splitting by 5 for 1 to avoid its stock price falling into the double digits. After all, it was less than four months ago when Eli Lilly sold off to around $600 a share.

If Eli Lilly does issue a stock split, I could see it replacing Merck in the Dow.

Should you invest $1,000 in Meta Platforms right now?

Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this:

The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $560,649!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,100,862!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 998% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 194% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.

See the 10 stocks »

*Stock Advisor returns as of December 1, 2025

Daniel Foelber has positions in ASML and Nvidia and has the following options: short December 2025 $1,100 calls on ASML. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends ASML, Advanced Micro Devices, Berkshire Hathaway, Merck, Meta Platforms, Netflix, Nvidia, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom and Verizon Communications. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
placeholder
US Dollar's Decline Predicted in 2026: Morgan Stanley's Outlook on Currency VolatilityMorgan Stanley forecasts a 5% drop in the dollar by mid-2026, attributed to continued Fed rate cuts. A recovery may follow as growth improves and funding currency dynamics shift favorably toward the euro and Swiss franc.
Author  Mitrade
Nov 25, Tue
Morgan Stanley forecasts a 5% drop in the dollar by mid-2026, attributed to continued Fed rate cuts. A recovery may follow as growth improves and funding currency dynamics shift favorably toward the euro and Swiss franc.
placeholder
U.S. Dollar Weakened by Dismal Manufacturing Data; Rate Cut Expected This MonthThe U.S. dollar remains under pressure as disappointing manufacturing data heightens expectations for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve at its upcoming meeting on December 10. Manufacturing PMI fell to 48.2, marking the ninth consecutive month of contraction.
Author  Mitrade
Dec 02, Tue
The U.S. dollar remains under pressure as disappointing manufacturing data heightens expectations for a rate cut by the Federal Reserve at its upcoming meeting on December 10. Manufacturing PMI fell to 48.2, marking the ninth consecutive month of contraction.
placeholder
Asian Shares Rebound as Wall Street Gains and Fed Rate Cut Anticipation LoomsAsian markets stabilized thanks to Wall Street's recovery, with Bitcoin regaining $90,000. Investor focus shifts to a potential Federal Reserve rate cut, improving overall market sentiment ahead of December.
Author  Mitrade
Dec 03, Wed
Asian markets stabilized thanks to Wall Street's recovery, with Bitcoin regaining $90,000. Investor focus shifts to a potential Federal Reserve rate cut, improving overall market sentiment ahead of December.
placeholder
Oil Prices Rise Amid Strikes on Russian Infrastructure and Stalled Ukraine Peace TalksOil prices saw a modest increase as Ukrainian forces targeted Russian oil infrastructure, raising concerns over export disruptions. However, unexpected rises in U.S. crude inventories tempered market optimism, highlighting persistent demand weakness.
Author  Mitrade
Yesterday 06: 18
Oil prices saw a modest increase as Ukrainian forces targeted Russian oil infrastructure, raising concerns over export disruptions. However, unexpected rises in U.S. crude inventories tempered market optimism, highlighting persistent demand weakness.
placeholder
Major Cryptocurrencies Climb as Bitcoin Breaks Above $93K; Analysts Warn of "False Breakout"Major cryptocurrencies advanced on Thursday, with tokens such as Cardano's ADA and Ether (ETH) rising as much as 5% as Bitcoin briefly climbed above $93,000. Analysts cautioned, however, that the move could be a short-lived "false breakout" in a still volatile market.
Author  Mitrade
23 hours ago
Major cryptocurrencies advanced on Thursday, with tokens such as Cardano's ADA and Ether (ETH) rising as much as 5% as Bitcoin briefly climbed above $93,000. Analysts cautioned, however, that the move could be a short-lived "false breakout" in a still volatile market.
goTop
quote