Investing in growth stocks is a proven way to increase your investment portfolio over the long term. By parking available funds, say $5,000, in strong, growing companies, and keeping it there long-term, you are likely to see the value of those investments rise steadily, generating the funds you need to finance your future lifestyle.
Choosing the right mix of stocks for this $5,000 investment is important, and the companies they represent should ideally have strong business models and market share and enjoy long-term tailwinds that can raise their revenue, profits, and dividends over the years.
Here are three attractive growth stocks that are worth a $5,000 investment. You might want to give them a closer look and perhaps even consider adding them to your portfolio.
Image source: Getty images.
1. Steris
Steris (STE +0.31%) manufactures and sells products and services to support patient care, with a focus on infection prevention. In its latest fiscal year, the company derived 71% of revenue from its healthcare segment, which supplies products to operating rooms and endoscopy suites.
Steris reports demand for its products has increased steadily over the years, resulting in consistent growth in revenue and net income (see chart below). Free cash flow also shot up in tandem with net income, allowing the patient-care provider to pay out rising dividends. Dividend per share increased from $0.52 a year ago to $0.57, a year-over-year increase of 9.6%.
| Metric | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4.54 billion | $5.14 billion | $5.46 billion |
| Operating income | $791 million | $836 million | $867 million |
| Net income | $107 million | $378 million | $615 million |
| Free cash flow | $395 million | $613 million | $778 million |
Data source: Steris PLC. Fiscal years end March 31.
Fiscal 2025 was a record year, and management put forth an optimistic outlook for fiscal 2026. Revenue is projected to increase by around 6% to 7% year over year, with adjusted earnings per share increasing by 7% to 10% over the same period.
These numbers account for the negative impact of tariffs announced by President Donald Trump. The business also expects to generate positive free cash flow of around $770 million.
NYSE: STE
Key Data Points
Steris' long-term goal is to achieve annual revenue growth in the mid-to-high single digits. The rising demand for procedures will provide mid-single-digit growth, while the remaining growth will come from merger-and-acquisition opportunities that the company will source to boost its portfolio and capabilities.
Over the long term, management is targeting double-digit adjusted earnings-per-share growth. The business's future seems assured as the global aging population is prompting a rising need for medical procedures, and Steris' products and services should see increased demand.
2. Mastercard
Mastercard (MA 1.74%) operates a payment network that facilitates fast and secure payment transactions between merchants, banks, and customers through debit and credit cards. The company has a strong brand and 3.5 billion debit and credit cards circulating globally. It has also demonstrated steady growth in revenue, net income, and free cash flow over the years, as shown below.
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $22.2 billion | $25.1 billion | $28.2 billion |
| Operating income | $12.3 billion | $14 billion | $15.6 billion |
| Net income | $9.9 billion | $11.2 billion | $12.8 billion |
| Free cash flow | $10.1 billion | $10.9 billion | $13.6 billion |
Data source: Mastercard. Fiscal years end Dec. 31.
The earnings momentum has continued in the first quarter of 2025. Mastercard reported revenue of $7.3 billion, 14.2% higher than a year ago. Operating income climbed 15.1% year over year to $4.1 billion, while net income increased by nearly 9% year over year to $3.3 billion.
Free cash flow surged by 56.3% year over year to $2 billion, illustrating Mastercard's ability to consistently generate excess cash that it can pay as dividends. The business recently paid out a quarterly dividend of $0.76, a 15% year-over-year increase, and has seen its quarterly dividend rise without fail since 2009.
NYSE: MA
Key Data Points
Mastercard continues to innovate with its offerings to enhance its competitive edge and keep customers loyal. Back in April, it launched agentic AI payments to enable more personalized and secure payment experiences for consumers, issuers, and merchants. It also partnered with Microsoft on uses for agentic commerce and is collaborating with IBM to explore business-to-business use cases.
In June, Mastercard once again partnered with Fiserv to promote stablecoin adoption as a digital asset means of payment. These collaborations and innovations will strengthen Mastercard's business proposition and enhance its ecosystem further, allowing the business to continue posting higher revenue and net income in the years to come.
3. Church & Dwight
Church & Dwight (CHD +1.24%) is a household and personal-care consumer products giant managing key brands such as Hero, Vitafusion, and Arm & Hammer. The company has grown its revenue, profits, and free cash flow over the years through a mix of organic growth and acquisitions. These numbers (in the chart below) show Church & Dwight's consistency in delivering results.
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $5.38 billion | $5.87 billion | $6.12 billion |
| Operating income | $598 million | $1.1 billion | $807 million |
| Net income | $414 million | $756 million | $585 million |
| Free cash flow | $706 million | $807 million | $976 million |
Data source: Church & Dwight. Fiscal years end Dec. 31.
The first quarter of 2025 saw revenue and net income dip slightly year over year by 2.4% and 3.3%, respectively, to $1.47 billion and $220.1 million. However, the business continued to churn out healthy free cash flow of $169.2 million for the quarter.
Church & Dwight paid out a quarterly per-share dividend of $0.295, a slight increase over the previous year's $0.28375. The company has a proud history of 124 consecutive years of paying dividends and has seen its dividend increase without fail since 2009.
NYSE: CHD
Key Data Points
Church & Dwight management said it believes the company still has a long growth runway. Currently, more than 70% of its sales and profits are generated by seven power brands. Some of its power brands, such as Hero and Therabreath, still have significant room for growth as household penetration remains low.
The company recently added an eighth power brand, Touchland, after acquiring it for a total purchase price of up to $880 million. Touchland is the fastest-growing brand in the hand sanitizer category in the U.S. and will help to drive more growth for Church & Dwight.
Innovation is another key driver of revenue growth. Half of the company's revenue increase in 2024 came from new products.
International growth is the third growth pillar, with overseas sales making up less than one-fifth of the company's total revenue. In comparison, other consumer product companies derive close to 60% of their sales internationally. These catalysts should enable Church & Dwight to continue posting healthy growth for many more years.
