If you've managed to avoid or pay down high interest rate debt, build up your emergency savings, and still have some cash left over, investing in stocks could be a smart way to protect and grow your wealth.

But not just any stocks will do. To maximize the potential returns on your investments while minimizing risk, you'll want to focus on the best businesses with the strongest growth prospects.

To help you in your search for these elite enterprises, here are two stocks that are particularly attractive investments today.

Stake your claim in the AI gold rush

Amazon (AMZN 3.43%) is positioned to be a prime beneficiary of the artificial intelligence (AI) megatrend. AI applications will be built in the cloud. As the leading cloud infrastructure platform, Amazon stands to profit handsomely by providing the raw computing power and ancillary services that will power the AI revolution.

Amazon, of course, also stands to benefit from the relentless expansion of the global e-commerce market. Worldwide online retail sales are expected to exceed $8 trillion by 2026, up from $5.7 trillion in 2022, according to Statista. Better still, CEO Andy Jassy's cost-reduction efforts should continue to drive Amazon's profit margins higher as it grows its revenue base.

Amazon's booming advertising business provides its shareholders with another way to profit. A swelling army of third-party merchants are willing to pay hefty sums to display their wares on the e-commerce giant's popular websites. Amazon, in turn, is gaining market share in a digital ad industry that's projected to grow from $567 billion in 2022 to over $835 billion by 2026, according to eMarketer.

With multiple ways to create value for its customers and investors, Amazon's stock is a terrific long-term investment.

This new anti-obesity drug is a game-changer

Roughly 70% of American adults are obese or overweight, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These are serious conditions that can be associated with some of the leading causes of death, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Anti-obesity drugs, in turn, could become a $100 billion market by 2030, according to investment bank Goldman Sachs.

Eli Lilly (LLY 1.19%) is set to lead this rapidly expanding industry. The healthcare titan received FDA approval for Zepbound, a once-weekly injection for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, as well as those who are overweight with at least one weight-related condition (such as high cholesterol or blood pressure).

By activating hormone receptors that reduce appetite, Zepbound can result in significant weight loss. A 72-week clinical trial showed that adults lost an average of 48 pounds with the highest dose of the treatment.

Notably, study participants who took Zepbound and implemented a lower-calorie diet and exercise program also saw favorable changes in cholesterol and reductions in blood pressure, though the drug is not approved for those indications. The active ingredient in Zepbound -- tirzepatide -- is, however, already approved under the trade name Mounjaro to help improve blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes along with diet and exercise.

Thanks to these intriguing potential benefits, Zepbound and Mounjaro are expected to turbocharge Eli Lilly's sales and earnings growth in the coming years. Buy shares today, and you can position yourself to profit alongside this healthcare leader.