August generally isn't considered the best time to buy stocks. It lands between May, when many investors "sell in May and go away," and September, which has historically had a pattern of being the worst month of the year for stocks. But the market's common summer swoons -- which can largely be attributed to the behavioral biases of investors -- shouldn't matter to long-term investors.
After all, the S&P 500 has still delivered an average annualized return of about 10% since its inception in 1957. So if you don't mind a little near-term volatility, August can still be a great time to add to your portfolio, and ASML (ASML -0.98%), CrowdStrike (CRWD -2.26%), and ServiceNow (NOW -1.53%) are three great tech stocks worth buying today.
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ASML
ASML is the world's top supplier of photolithography systems, which are used to optically etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. It's also the only producer of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines -- the only ones capable of operating at a fine enough level of detail to make today's most advanced, densest, and most power-efficient chips.
ASML's monopoly in that crucial technology makes it a linchpin of the semiconductor sector. All of the world's top foundries -- including TSMC, Samsung, and Intel -- use its EUV systems to manufacture cutting-edge chips.
In 2024, ASML suffered a slowdown as it lapped the AI market's initial growth spurt, its non-AI markets grew at a slower rate, and it was barred from selling even its older lithography systems to customers in China. But from 2024 to 2027, analysts expect its revenue and EPS to grow at compound annual rates of 10% and 17%, respectively.
That growth should be driven by the memory chip market's cyclical recovery, the AI market's expansion, and the rollout of its latest high-NA EUV lithography systems for manufacturing even smaller and more sophisticated chips. That's an impressive projected growth trajectory for a stock that trades at just 25 times next year's expected earnings.
CrowdStrike
Cybersecurity company CrowdStrike only provides subscription-based services via the cloud. That approach, which is stickier and easier for customers to scale as they expand, sets it apart from older cybersecurity companies, which often install on-site appliances at their clients' locations that consume more power, take up space, and require regular maintenance.
CrowdStrike's first-mover advantage in the cloud-native cybersecurity space gives it an edge over its peers. In its latest reported quarter, 48% of its customers were using at least six of its Falcon platform's cloud-based modules. That was up from 44% a year earlier. As a cybersecurity leader, its business is also resistant to economic downturns because even when belt-tightening is necessary, most companies won't shut off their digital defenses just to save a few dollars.
From its fiscal 2025 (which ended this January) to its fiscal 2028, analysts expect CrowdStrike's revenue to grow at a compound annual rate of 22%. They also expect it to turn profitable again on a generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) basis in its fiscal 2027 and more than triple its net income in fiscal 2028. Its stock might seem a bit pricey at 18 times next year's expected sales, but its robust growth rates and cloud-based advantages justify that higher valuation.
ServiceNow
ServiceNow is a cloud-based company that helps large companies organize their unstructured work patterns into automated digital workflows. Its Now Assist AI platform further accelerates that process with generative AI chatbots and automation tools.
ServiceNow's business is naturally insulated from macroeconomic headwinds. As the economy expands, more companies will use its services to optimize their expansion efforts. But if the economy contracts, they'll use its platform to cut costs and automate more jobs with AI. During its latest conference call, CEO Bill McDermott proclaimed that "AI is the new UI," and said that ServiceNow's platform was becoming the "extensible AI operating system" for agentic AI applications.
From 2024 to 2027, analysts expect ServiceNow's revenue and GAAP EPS to grow at compound annual rates of 19% and 28%, respectively. Its stock might also seem a bit pricey at 77 times next year's expected earnings, but it remains a great play on the secular growth of the cloud and AI markets.
