2 Monster Stocks to Hold for the Next 10 Years

The world is likely to look a lot different 10 years from now. Artificial intelligence (AI) is scaling at a rapid pace and changing how people accomplish many tasks. Companies are getting electric flying taxis off the ground (literally), and money is circulating in new forms.

The stock market is noting those changes, and it could go through several cycles of crashes, corrections, and increases over the next decade.

You can maximize your returns over the next 10 years by making sure you own top stocks that can withstand change and volatility. Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST) and MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI) are two stocks that make the cut thanks to their monster potential.

1. Costco

Costco has been a consistent force in a changing world. Customers love its low prices and renew their memberships at consistently high rates. The company has a track record of onboarding new members at a fast pace, too.

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Its 2026 fiscal third quarter (which ended May 10) offers one snapshot that tells the larger story. Sales increased 11.6% year over year, driven by a 9.8% increase in comparable sales, the largest increase since the start of the pandemic. That's incredible performance and evidence of why Costco has a durable edge in any environment.

The membership metrics are equally compelling. Costco had 82.9 million members as of the end of the quarter, a 4.1% increase over last year. There was a 9.6% increase in executive members, who pay double the standard $65 membership fee and account for three-quarters of total sales.

Management continues to identify opportunities for new locations, and it's planning at least 30 store openings annually. It had 931 warehouses globally as of the end of the quarter, with 639 in the U.S. The combination of strong comps, new stores, and happy members should continue to fuel robust growth over the next 10 years and longer.

2. MercadoLibre

MercadoLibre is an e-commerce and fintech powerhouse in Latin America, and it consistently boasts the high growth rates of a start-up, even though it's been around for almost three decades. In the second quarter, its revenue increased 50% year over year, with a 36% increase in gross merchandise volume (GMV).

Image source: Getty Images.

Latin America lags behind other global regions in e-commerce and fintech adoption, which is why this opportunity looks so compelling. MercadoLibre has many levers to pull to generate higher growth, and as it improves its value proposition, more customers are joining the platform and buying more products through it. The number of unique buyers increased 26% year over year in Q2, while fintech monthly active users were up 30%.

More importantly, the number of ecosystemic users -- users of both platforms -- increased by 37%, and these most-engaged customers offer the greatest value to the company. These users generated 70% more GMV and 55% more items sold per user in Q2 than non-ecosystemic users. On the fintech side, total payment volume per user was nearly 90% more for ecosystemic users. Assets under management per user were more than twice as high as for fintech-only users, and insurance policies per user were nearly four times more.

As MercadoLibre onboards new members and converts them into ecosystemic users, it should deliver incredible returns to long-term shareholders.

Jennifer Saibil has positions in MercadoLibre. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and MercadoLibre. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.