2 Top Growth Stocks to Buy in the First Half of 2026

Equity markets have been fairly volatile so far this year. This can scare off some investors, but it's important to keep in mind that, even with significant short-term seesawing, equities tend to perform well over the long run.

And to earn even higher returns than major indexes, it helps to invest in stocks that can navigate the volatile times and post strong financial results throughout and beyond. Let's consider two growth stocks that have what it takes to pull that off: Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) and Veeva Systems (NYSE: VEEV). Here's why both are worth buying now and holding onto for a while.

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1. Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly is arguably one of the best growth stocks in the pharmaceutical industry right now. Here are three reasons why. First, the company's top-line growth rates in recent quarters have been outstanding. It has performed more like a smaller tech stock than a pharmaceutical giant in this regard. Growth rates in the mid double digits are already very strong for a large drugmaker. Eli Lilly's has been well above that.

LLY Revenue (Quarterly YoY Growth) data by YCharts

Second, the company is the leader in the rapidly growing market for anti-obesity medicines. Eli Lilly's tirzepatide, approved for weight loss and obesity, became the world's best-selling drug last year.

The company should launch orforglipron, an oral GLP-1 drug, this year. And in the next couple of years, Eli Lilly should earn approval for at least one other medicine in this area. Third, Eli Lilly has a large pipeline beyond its core diabetes and obesity markets. The company is developing medicines across immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and more.

What's more, Eli Lilly has invested heavily in AI-powered initiatives to accelerate the development and marketing of drugs. It also seems to be at the forefront of that revolution in the pharmaceutical industry. All these factors and more make Eli Lilly an incredibly attractive healthcare growth stock to buy right now and hold for the next decade (and perhaps beyond).

2. Veeva Systems

Veeva Systems provides cloud solutions to life science companies. Its clients include Eli Lilly and many other giants in the field. Veeva's success stems from its having crafted its cloud services with the unique demands of life science companies in mind, including a stringent regulatory landscape, significant upfront investments to develop products, and the need to run clinical trials before earning regulatory approval.

Veeva Systems boasts more than 1,500 customers in its ecosystem, and generates consistent revenue and earnings. And while competition has intensified in recent years, Veeva Systems' strong competitive edge, driven by high switching costs, should allow it to maintain a strong position in its niche of the large cloud market.

Meanwhile, the company still has plenty of white space ahead. Veeva Systems estimates an addressable market of $20 billion, well above its trailing-12-month revenue of $3.1 billion. Veeva's goal to double its annual revenue by 2030 seems well within reach -- that would mean a compound annual growth rate of almost 18% through the end of the decade. And there will still be plenty of room to grow after that. Meanwhile, Veeva Systems' stock isn't far from its 52-week low. At current levels, investors should consider buying the stock before it bounces back.

Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Eli Lilly. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Veeva Systems. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.