Broader equities have not performed particularly well in 2025. The S&P 500 is barely in the black year to date. However, considering it hovered near bear market territory a few weeks ago, things aren't so bad.
Stocks might not be out of the woods, though. Economic issues could arise, sending markets down, as the Trump administration continues to implement its trade agenda.
That said, regardless of what happens on that front, there are plenty of companies worth investing in. Here are two great examples: Netflix (NFLX -0.48%) and Veeva Systems (VEEV -2.21%).
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1. Netflix
Netflix, a streaming specialist, has been grabbing headlines recently for all the right reasons. The stock is up for the year, financial results have been good, and management sees significant upside ahead.
The company has plans to join the exclusive club of trillion-dollar stocks by 2030. From its current market cap of $522 billion, that will require a compound annual growth rate of 13.9%.
That's nothing to sneeze at, but it's well within the company's reach, in my view. Five years ago, Netflix ended 2019 with $20.2 billion in revenue. Last year, that had risen to $39 billion -- a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.1%.
True, a lot has changed since. There is more competition in the streaming field, for instance. Even so, Netflix has made changes that have kept it in the lead in the industry, including a crackdown on password sharing and the introduction of a low-priced ad-supported tier. The company doesn't grow its revenue quite as fast as it used to, but in the past five years, profits and free cash flow have soared.
NFLX Revenue (Quarterly) data by YCharts.
Meanwhile, there is still considerable room for growth in the streaming industry. Netflix's estimate of a $650 billion revenue opportunity reflects the fact that streaming still has yet to completely overtake entertainment.
The industry's penetration should expand over the long run and benefit Netflix, considering its strong position, network effect, and brand name. Furthermore, it is increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its content strategy, which is already a key to its success.
Though AI won't be the center of Netflix's universe, it can allow the company to make better movies for less money, something that will make a difference down the road. So the goal to achieve a trillion-dollar valuation in the next five years isn't just a pipe dream -- it is well within the company's powers. Even if it fails, though, the stock should deliver superior returns well beyond 2025.
2. Veeva Systems
Veeva Systems isn't the biggest player in the cloud industry. That title arguably goes to Amazon, with other tech giants, such as Alphabet and Microsoft, not far behind.
However, Veeva Systems is a leader in a niche within the industry. It offers cloud solutions primarily to life science companies such as drugmakers. The fact that the company's list of clients features some of the largest pharmaceutical players, including Merck, Novo Nordisk, and Eli Lilly, is telling.
The company is doing something right. Here's what that thing is: It has developed a wealth of cloud services specifically catered to the stringent regulatory (and other) demands of the industry. Generic solutions won't do for many of these companies. Enter Veeva Systems.
The cloud computing specialist's financial results also reflect its success. Revenue and earnings have been growing at a good clip. And when management set revenue goals to be achieved by a certain date in the past, Veeva has met the goal. It recently hit its $3 billion revenue run-rate target -- which, in 2019, it said it would achieve by the calendar year 2025.
That's a management team investors can trust. Many CEOs overpromise and underdeliver. Meanwhile, Veeva still has plenty of white space ahead, with an estimated $20 billion addressable market.
Revenue over the trailing-12-month period is $2.9 billion. Given the high switching costs, the company should remain a strong player in this niche for some time as it continues to make headway in its market.
It could encounter some headwinds if the economy tanks, as it did a couple of years ago. But the company has recovered nicely since -- a microcosm of what its performance might look like over the long run. Even with occasional slowdowns, expect Veeva Systems to deliver above-average returns in the next decade.
