Investors have lots of pithy adages. One of my favorites is: "Time in the market beats timing the market." The quote is often attributed to billionaire investor Ken Fisher. And it's spot on.
Of course, which stocks you own during your time in the market can make a big difference. There are many great alternatives, but I have my favorites. Here are three brilliant growth stocks to buy now and hold for the long term.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Alphabet
Warren Buffett's mentor, Benjamin Graham, once wrote about an allegorical character he named "Mr. Market." Graham described Mr. Market as buying and selling at times based on wildly varying emotions. I think Mr. Market was alive and well (or perhaps, unwell) following Google parent Alphabet's (GOOG 0.72%) (GOOGL 0.47%) recent fourth-quarter update.
Alphabet reported strong numbers across the board. Yet the stock still declined sharply. Why? Investors focused on the company's plans to spend significantly more money on AI infrastructure in 2026.
NASDAQ: GOOGL
Key Data Points
The sell-off was -- like Graham's Mr. Market -- irrational, in my opinion. Alphabet is increasing its capital expenditures to capitalize on obvious growth opportunities. I think it would have been almost a dereliction of duty if management didn't boost capex significantly.
Pick any major technology that could shape the future (AI, quantum computing, robotics, self-driving cars, etc.). There's a good chance that Alphabet is already a leader in the field. I view this growth stock as a no-brainer to buy and hold.
2. Amazon
You can pretty much apply everything I just said about Alphabet to Amazon (AMZN 0.96%). The main difference is that, unlike Alphabet, Amazon missed Wall Street's Q4 earnings estimate, albeit barely.
Yes, Amazon's 2026 capex guidance of roughly $200 billion is jaw-dropping. However, it's important to understand the context. Most of the investment will go to expanding AI infrastructure for Amazon Web Services (AWS). CEO Andy Jassy noted during the Q4 earnings call, "[W]e are monetizing capacity as fast as we can install it."
NASDAQ: AMZN
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Selling the stock because of increased capex is tantamount to saying management doesn't know what it's doing. I believe Jassy and his team know exactly what they're doing. If any company can claim to understand demand and achieve exceptional returns on invested capital, it's Amazon.
Buying Amazon shares on pullbacks has always paid off handsomely over the long run. I'm confident that investing in this top AI stock will generate market-beating long-term returns this time around, too.
3. BeOne Medicines
I'll step off my soapbox now and turn to one of the most promising biotech stocks on the market -- BeOne Medicines (ONC 0.57%). Unlike Alphabet and Amazon, BeOne is soaring so far in 2026. There's a good reason why. Actually, I think there are at least three good reasons why.
First, sales of BeOne's blood cancer therapy, Brukinsa, continue to skyrocket. BeOne expects to announce results from a Phase 3 study of the drug as a first-line treatment for mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) in the first half of this year.
NASDAQ: ONC
Key Data Points
Second, the company also hopes to win U.S. regulatory approval of sonrotoclax as a treatment for relapsed or refractory MCL in the first half of 2026. BeOne already secured Chinese regulatory approval for the drug earlier this year.
Third, yet another regulatory filing could be on the way in the second half of 2026. If the Phase 2 results for BGB-16673 in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia are positive, BeOne plans to file for accelerated approval of the blood cancer therapy.
Are these potential upcoming catalysts reasons to buy and hold BeOne Medicines stock for the long term? Not on their own. However, they reflect a drugmaker that is continually innovating and winning. And that is a reason to buy and hold this stock.
