No matter how much money you have on you now -- whether it's $100 or $1,000 or $10,000 -- you can invest it in stocks. That's provided you're ready to invest, of course, with any high-interest rate debt paid off, an emergency fund stocked with at least three to six months' worth of living expenses, and at least a basic understanding of stock market investing.
Here are three companies to consider for berths in your portfolio. If you have $3,000 to invest, you might split it between them, or you can split a smaller or larger sum between them, too.
1. Comcast
Many people underappreciate the breadth and depth of Comcast (CMCSA -0.37%). It's a multimedia powerhouse with a recent market value topping $160 billion. It offers broadband, wireless, and video services via its Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky businesses, and entertainment, sports, and news via Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, Peacock, NBC News, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports.
It also owns Universal Parks and Resorts, with popular theme parks in the U.S. and Asia. Altogether, it boasts more than 57 million customer relationships in the U.S. and Europe.
It's true that broadband growth is slowing, but Comcast has a lot of other things going for it, such as the rapidly growing Peacock streaming service. In his 2022 annual letter to shareholders, CEO Brian Roberts noted:
In 2022, we saw demand for both speed and data skyrocket. Nearly one billion devices connected to the Comcast network -- up 12x since 2018 -- and approximately one-third of our more than 30 million customers have gigabit or higher service. Five years from now, those numbers will expand exponentially as streaming video, 4K gaming, augmented reality, and connected health become even more central to our daily lives. Our evolution to 10G and a virtual, software-based network -- infused with intuitive AI capabilities -- will equip us to power the incredible applications yet to be fully imagined.
Comcast's stock seems undervalued, too, with a recent forward-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.5, well below its five-year average of 14.
2. ASML Holding
With a recent market value topping $250 billion, ASML Holding (ASML -1.03%) is a key player in the semiconductor arena, supplying software, hardware, and services such as lithography.
The company's financial performance is quite impressive. For the 2022 year, it recorded about $22.5 billion in revenue, up nearly 14% over year-earlier levels, with gross profit margin topping 50%. It spent more than $3 billion on research and development, which bodes well for its ability to innovate. Perhaps most promising, the company ended the year with a record backlog of orders totaling roughly $43 billion. The new focus by the U.S. on producing more chips within its borders is likely to drive even more business for ASML.
ASML's stock seems fairly valued to slightly undervalued, making it worth consideration for long-term portfolios. It's hard to be bearish on the long-term future of semiconductors, and ASML is likely to grow with the industry.
3. Verizon Communications
One of the most attractive aspects of telecom titan Verizon Communications (VZ -0.53%) is its dividend, recently yielding a fat 6.5%. The company has been increasing its payout annually for 16 consecutive years.
Fat dividends can be a valuable part of a portfolio, generating lots of dollars that regularly show up in your account, but don't just buy-and-forget dividend-paying stocks. A steep dividend is often steep because the share price has fallen, and indeed, Verizon's stock was recently nearly 30% below its 52-week high.
The telecom concern is facing some challenges, such as the fact that it's now easier for customers to switch smartphone carriers to competitors and getting harder to win new customers. Still, the company remains a cash cow, generating $14 billion in 2022 (down from $19 billion in 2021), and it's busy growing its wireless business. If you're in the market for significant income, consider Verizon stock -- just keep an eye on it over time to make sure it remains able to maintain the payout.
A recent Motley Fool research report found that only about 58% of Americans own stocks, which is a crying shame, since the stock market is probably the best way for most of people to build wealth for their future. If you're not yet invested in stocks, take some time to learn more about it. And consider the companies above for your portfolio. (You might also opt for simple, low-fee index funds.)
