3 Growth Stocks Long-Term Investors Should Buy in May
Key Points
Amazon has multiple growth drivers ahead.
Apple has one of the best compounding business models on the planet.
Dutch Bros has one of the best expansion opportunities in the restaurant space.
- These 10 stocks could mint the next wave of millionaires ›
"Sell in May and go away?" I wouldn't be doing that this year. The strategy hasn't worked well for the past decade, and there are a lot of good buys still in the market. In fact, according to Reuters, since 2016, investing continuously throughout the year would have nearly doubled investor returns versus selling in May and then buying back in during November.
With now still a good time to invest, let's look at three great growth stocks to buy now.
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Amazon: Multiple growth drivers
Since the beginning of April, Amazon's (NASDAQ: AMZN) stock has started to break out following only a modest 5% gain in 2025 and a tough start to 2026. Much of the excitement is around Amazon's cloud computing and chip businesses.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) revenue once again accelerated in the first quarter, growing 28%, and the company announced it had a $465 billion AWS backlog. With the company partnering with both Anthropic and OpenAI and planning to devote $200 billion to capital expenditures (capex) this year, AWS growth should continue to accelerate throughout the year. Meanwhile, the company's chip business, led by its Trainium AI accelerator, has started to gain attention after the company revealed this is a $20 billion run-rate business, or $50 billion when including internal use. In addition, with the rise of agentic artificial intelligence (AI), the company's Graviton central processing units (CPUs) are also suddenly a hot commodity.
Meanwhile, with its e-commerce business, Amazon just announced that it plans to open up its logistics network to companies outside of its marketplace, including plans to get into the higher-margin business-to-business segment. The company is already seeing great operating leverage in this business due to its investments in AI and robotics, and this is another big potential growth driver. It is also set to launch an internet satellite offering later this year, adding to its growth initiatives.
Apple: An amazing business model
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has been hitting on all cylinders recently, with iPhone sales soaring. However, the real beauty of the company's business model lies in its high-margin services business.
Ultimately, device sales help lock customers into Apple's walled-garden ecosystem, and with each photo taken, app purchased, and subscription bought, it gets harder for users to switch. This then feeds into customers staying and buying more apps and services like cloud storage. But it doesn't stop there, as Apple gets a cut from every purchase facilitated by its popular Apple Pay digital wallet and shares search revenue with Alphabet's Google for queries done through its devices and Safari browser.
Apple is a great compounding stock, and a solid one to own ahead of a new CEO taking over this fall.
Image source: Getty Images.
Dutch Bros: A huge expansion opportunity ahead
Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS) is one of the best growth stocks in the restaurant sector, offering both strong same-store sales and a huge expansion opportunity. With less than 1,200 stores at the end of Q1, the company has a long runway with plans to open more than 2,000 by the end of 2029 and 7,000 in the U.S. over the long haul.
At the same time, the company has been putting in some of the strongest same-store sales growth in the restaurant industry. Last quarter, its comparable restaurant sales climbed 8.3%, with company-owned stores seeing a 10.6% jump. The growth is being driven by drink menu innovation, mobile ordering, increased brand awareness, and the introduction of hot food items. Shops in new markets, meanwhile, are doing exceedingly well. It saw an incredible 20% jump in same-store sales in its new Texas market, while its first shop opened in the Chicago market is on pace for $4 million in sales, which is nearly double its average unit volume (AUV).
With the stock selling off earlier this month, now is a great time to buy Dutch Bros shares for the long term.
Don’t miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity
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*Stock Advisor returns as of May 12, 2026.
Geoffrey Seiler has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, and Dutch Bros. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Dutch Bros. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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