5 Smart Stocks to Buy Right Now
Key Points
Microsoft and Amazon are each delivering strong results, yet the market hasn't responded.
Alphabet and Broadcom continue to dominate, helped by their notable efforts in AI.
The Trade Desk's shares have steadily slid and look like a steal at these levels.
- 10 stocks we like better than Microsoft ›
The market is full of fantastic investing opportunities. Many long-term winners are on sale right now, and there's no telling how long these deals will last. I'm confident that each of these can deliver monster returns over the next few years, and locking in today's price gives investors the best opportunity to maximize their returns.
The clock is ticking on these five stocks, which I believe will be excellent purchases looking back a few years from now.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Microsoft
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) hardly needs an introduction. Its software is used nearly every day in the business world, and it also has several other thriving business units. Microsoft has posted nothing but successful results, including 17% growth in its latest quarter. However, the market has tossed Microsoft's stock aside in recent months, and now is a golden buying opportunity.
MSFT PE Ratio (Forward) data by YCharts
At 24 times forward earnings, Microsoft hasn't been this cheap in nearly three years, making now an excellent time to take action on Microsoft's stock.
2. Amazon
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) has similarly had a rocky start to 2026. Its stock is down around 20% from its all-time high. That's a gift investors should take advantage of, as Amazon's most important segment is starting to take off.
While most recognize Amazon as an e-commerce company, the majority of its profits come from its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing division. AWS is a key part of the Amazon investment picture, and its growth is starting to accelerate. In Q4, its revenue rose 24% year over year -- the best quarter in over three years.
Additionally, its custom chip business grew at a triple-digit pace, showcasing that its new artificial intelligence (AI) offerings are incredibly popular. I'd expect Amazon to post some incredible results later on this year, making right now a great time to buy before the market catches on.
3. Alphabet
Unlike Amazon and Microsoft, the market is currently in love with Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL). Part of that is because Alphabet was beaten down for so long since the AI boom began in 2023. However, it emerged as one of the strongest players in the generative AI arena and has several exciting irons in the fire.
It's becoming increasingly likely that Alphabet will be the overall winner for general AI modeling, which is fantastic news for the Alphabet faithful who stuck with the stock throughout the rough years. I still think Alphabet has plenty more room to run if its model emerges as the top option, and buying here gives investors exposure to that upside.
4. The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) has been an abysmal stock to own as of late. It's down more than 80% from its all-time high and is being affected by two factors. First, its growth is slowing. The Trade Desk's buy-side ad platform has seen its market share fall as clients look elsewhere for where to place their ads. Still, its revenue rose 18% in its last quarter, so it's not like it's growing at a snail's pace. Second, there has been a general sell-off of software stocks as generative AI models threaten their business model.
I think The Trade Desk is still in a strong position to maintain its solid double-digit growth over the next few years, yet the stock trades for an incredibly cheap 12 times forward earnings. Now is the time to scoop this stock up, as deals like this don't come around often.
5. Broadcom
Last is Broadcom (NASDAQ: AVGO). Broadcom has a lot of roles as a company, but nothing is more consequential to its future than its custom AI chips. Broadcom is partnering with several AI hyperscalers to design a custom AI chip that can deliver impressive performance, but at the cost of flexibility. These units are designed with one workload in mind, and excel in this area.
Broadcom expects its AI chip growth to reach 100% in Q1, which would make it the fastest-growing major AI computing chip provider on the market. This could lead to a bullish rally, but with the AI buildout expected to last for several years, Broadcom's stock rally could just be getting started.
Should you buy stock in Microsoft right now?
Before you buy stock in Microsoft, 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 Microsoft 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 $424,262!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,163,635!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 904% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 194% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of February 24, 2026.
Keithen Drury has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Broadcom, Microsoft, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Recommended Articles
