The S&P 500 is up 9% this year despite continued economic volatility and a looming recession. The market and the economy don't always move in the same direction, and it looks like investors are ready for some momentum after enduring the S&P 500's longest bear market since 1973.

There's no way to know when the bear market will turn into a bull market. If you invest right now, you could see your holdings go sideways for a while. However, you could also miss great prices as they start to rise. Many stocks are already on their way back up. You can't time the market, so as long as you have a long time horizon and funds to invest after you've set aside an emergency fund and paid your debts, now is a great time to buy stocks.

If you have $300 available, Nu Holdings (NU 1.43%), Global-e Online (GLBE 2.96%), and Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG 2.47%) are three great choices.

1. Nu Holdings: A better way to bank

Bank tellers and dollar bills increasingly look to be at risk of extinction. Digital services have completely taken over banking, providing easy and quick solutions that mean many people don't ever have to step foot in a bank.

Nubank, a Brazil-based digital financial services company, offers cheap digital banking and payments solutions, and it's growing like wildfire. Revenue increased 87% year over year in the 2023 first quarter after five consecutive quarters, or all of its time as a public company, with triple-digit growth.

Perhaps you could label that a slowdown, but as with many high-growth companies that strive to become viable long-term, it's now focusing on profitability. Nu has posted three consecutive quarters with positive net income, which soared to $142 million in the first quarter.

There are still many growth levers, so even though Nu stock is up 60% so far in 2023, don't let that deter you from buying today. Its strategy involves upselling and cross-selling services to customers, so even though it already has 46% of the adult population of Brazil as account holders, there's so much more to extract there.

It's also adding millions of new customers in its Mexico and Colombia markets, where it's just getting started. There's a long runway ahead for Nu stock, and it's an excellent choice for growth-oriented investors.

2. Global-e Online: A service all e-commerce retailers need

Global-e is another high-growth stock with tons of future opportunity. It provides cross-border solutions for e-commerce retailers, and it's been adding new customers at a steady rate. Its platform integrates easily into a website and does things like instant customs calculation for 200 countries in almost 100 currencies, a list of possible shipping options in chosen currencies, delivery times, and the like.

It already has high-profile customers like Walt Disney and LVMH, and it recently added designer Rebecca Minkoff as a client and Kylie Jenner's Kylie Cosmetics. It also continues to expand its existing partnerships, such as adding new brands owned by LVMH. 

Revenue increased 55% in the 2023 first quarter to $117.6 million, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization  (EBITDA) grew from $3.3 million last year to $14.5 million, both exceeding guidance. Management raised the full-year outlook for both.

It's still posting a net loss although that improved from $54 million last year to $43 million this year. Expect this stock to soar over time.

3. Chipotle: A resilient model

Chipotle stock costs much more than $300 per share. Each share is trading at a price of more than $2,000 as of this writing. I'm bringing it as an example of buying stock through fractional shares, which gives investors the opportunity to benefit from owning amazing, high-priced stocks like Chipotle.

The Tex-Mex chain operates in the fast-casual space, which is proving to be a resilient place to be while we ride the tide of economic volatility. Not only does it normally target a more affluent clientele, which has more disposable income even when people are slowing spending, it still has a cachet that attracts a mass customer base when it's looking for a little luxury.

Chipotle successfully raised prices last year to meet higher costs, resulting in strong sales and comparable sales growth as well as rising profits. In the first quarter of 2023, total revenue increased 17% year over year, while comparable sales grew 11%. Earnings per share nearly doubled from $5.59 last year to $10.50 this year.

Even with more than 3,000 stores, management sees the opportunity to more than double its restaurant count to 7,000 globally. That means on top of comparable sales growth, which is always a litmus test for efficient operation, there's so much room to grow sales.

Don't let the price tag stop you. Even with $300, you can buy Chipotle stock and see years of high growth.