Do growth stocks pay dividends?

Most growth stocks don't pay dividends. Instead, they use excess capital to invest in the continued growth of the business. However, as companies grow larger and generate substantial free cash flow, some can continue investing in growth while returning some capital to shareholders through dividends.

What growth stock is going to boom in 2026?

The stock market prices future expectations for each company into its stock price. If a company exceeds expectations, it'll likely see its stock price increase. So, the stocks expected to rise the most in 2026 are those that outperform market expectations.

What is an example of a growth stock?

One example of a growth stock is Amazon. Its shares are usually considered expensive by traditional valuation measures, such as price-to-earnings (P/E) or price-to-sales (P/S) ratios. However, the company continuously invests to grow its business and expand into new markets and industries. The long-term potential profit remains extremely high.

What are the best stocks for growth?

The best stocks for growth are usually smaller companies with unique competitive advantages in large or potentially large addressable markets. They are typically expensive relative to their peers, but the company's upside justifies the stock price.

What is the difference between a growth stock and a value stock?

Growth stocks tend to exhibit faster, less predictable revenue growth than value stocks, which are much more predictable from year to year. Over the long run, growth stocks are expected to grow revenue and earnings much faster than value stocks. Also, growth stocks may trade on momentum, as well as on how their financial results and management outlooks compare to expectations. Value stocks, on the other hand, typically trade based on their valuation.

Are growth stocks suitable for long-term or short-term investors?

Growth stocks are best suited for investors with a long time horizon. They're inherently more volatile than value stocks, which means investors need to be able to wait out the ups and downs that come with growth stocks for their investment thesis to play out.

How long should you hold growth stocks?

Growth stocks perform best over the long run -- years, not months. It can take a long time for an investment thesis to play out, so it's best to be able to hold the stock until it does or your investment thesis is no longer accurate.

Are growth ETFs a good alternative to individual stocks?

If you don't have the time or inclination to research individual stocks, a growth ETF can provide greater exposure to growth stocks than a standard index fund. The potential returns of a growth ETF might not be as high as sifting through and finding the best opportunities among growth stocks for yourself, but the time saved maintaining your own portfolio can be worth it.

Best Growth Stocks to Buy in 2026

By Adam Levy – Updated Feb 13, 2026 at 3:47 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

In 2025, growth stocks beat the S&P 500 Growth index by 21.4% over the S&P 500 Value's 11%.
Diverse trends, like e-commerce and AI, require identifying companies with sustainable competitive edges.
Investing in companies with large potential markets offers more growth opportunities.

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Ticker Information Table
Company name	Company ticker	Market cap	Industry
Meta Platforms	NASDAQ:META	$1.6 trillion	Interactive Media and Services
Shopify	NASDAQ:SHOP	$157.4 billion	IT Services
Uber Technologies	NYSE:UBER	$155.2 billion	Road and Rail
Block	NYSE:XYZ	$38.7 billion	Diversified Financial Services
MercadoLibre	NASDAQ:MELI	$89.1 billion	Multiline Retail
Nvidia	NASDAQ:NVDA	$4.3 trillion	Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment
Netflix	NASDAQ:NFLX	$406.3 billion	Entertainment
Amazon	NASDAQ:AMZN	$2.3 trillion	Multiline Retail
Salesforce	NYSE:CRM	$182.5 billion	Software
Alphabet	NASDAQ:GOOG	$3.8 trillion	Interactive Media and Services

Data as of Feb 28, 2026. Showing 10 of 10 tickers.

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As this list shows, growth stocks come in all shapes and sizes. They can be found in a variety of industries, both within the U.S. and in international markets. Although all the stocks on this list are from larger businesses, smaller companies can also be fertile ground for growth investors.

A great way to invest in a wide variety of small-cap growth stocks is via an exchange-traded fund (ETF), such as Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund ETF (VBK -1.03%). This fund tracks the performance of the CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth index, which gives investors an easy way to invest in roughly 560 small-cap growth companies all at once.

The Vanguard Small-Cap Growth Index Fund ETF has an ultra-low expense ratio of 0.05%. This means investors will receive almost all the fund's returns, with only a small amount in fees going to Vanguard. (An annual expense ratio of 0.05% works out to only $0.50 in fees per $1,000 invested annually.)

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An infographic listing criteria for how to find the best growth stocks and companies on the market. — Image source: The Motley Fool.

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Growth stocks versus dividend stocks.

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FAQ: Growth stocks

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Expert Q&A on growth stocks

About the Author

Adam Levy is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering technology, consumer, and financial stocks and how policy, economic, and consumer trends shape personal finance, Social Security and retirement savings. Before The Motley Fool, Adam was a financial advisor at Edward Jones. He studied finance and electrical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

TMFnCaffeine

@admlvy

Adam Levy has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, and Salesforce. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Etsy, MercadoLibre, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, Oracle, PayPal, Salesforce, Shopify, Tesla, Uber Technologies, and Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF. The Motley Fool recommends BYD Company and Gartner and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $42.50 calls on PayPal and short March 2026 $65 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Why invest in growth stocks?

They have high return potential.

Less demand for immediate capital returns allows management to invest in the future.

They can add diversification to your portfolio across market segments and sectors.

Participate in major economic trends.

One excellent growth stock investment can make up for a handful that don't work out.

Risks of investing in growth stocks

Growth stocks can offer excellent long-term returns, but there are no free lunches in the stock market. The cost of better returns is greater risk.

Growth stocks generally exhibit greater price volatility. That's partly due to their higher valuations. Any changes in expectations for the future are multiplied by a greater factor when valuations are high. As such, investors need to be able to stomach severe drawdowns in the value of their growth stocks.

Individual growth stocks also hold significantly more risk than individual value stocks. By their nature, growth stocks are less predictable, so an individual investment could face setbacks from poor execution, challenges scaling the business, or another company disrupting its product or market. So, growth stock investors should maintain a portfolio of companies across industries and in different phases of growth.

Strategies for investing in growth stocks

Growth stocks can produce market-beating returns, but they can also quickly drag your portfolio lower. A key strategy to successful growth stock investing is to build a portfolio of stocks based on the opportunities and risks presented by each company you're considering.

If two companies are highly correlated (perhaps they're both highly exposed to growing AI spending), you might reduce your exposure to both stocks while increasing your allocation toward another company that's not related to that industry.

You only need a handful of great growth stocks to build a good portfolio. Each stock you add beyond your best ideas could detract from your long-term returns, but if it has the potential to smooth out the ride, it could be worth owning.

Prioritize companies with competitive advantages

It's also important to invest in growth companies that possess strong competitive advantages. Otherwise, their competitors may pass them, and their growth may not last long. A strong competitive advantage will help companies survive and thrive through market downturns, while those without one will struggle.

Best Growth Stocks to Buy in 2026

Key Points

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FAQ: Growth stocks

Expert Q&A on growth stocks

Dr. Preston D. Cherry, PhD, CFPAssistant Professor of Finance & Personal Financial Planning at University of Wisconsin, Green Bay

Dr. Preston D. Cherry, PhD, CFP

Scott Stewart, PhDClinical Professor at Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell SC Johnson College of Business

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About the Author

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FAQ: Growth stocks

Do growth stocks pay dividends?

What growth stock is going to boom in 2026?

What is an example of a growth stock?

What are the best stocks for growth?

What is the difference between a growth stock and a value stock?

Are growth stocks suitable for long-term or short-term investors?

How long should you hold growth stocks?

Are growth ETFs a good alternative to individual stocks?

What is a growth stock?

Top growth stocks to consider

How to find growth stocks

Why invest in growth stocks?

Risks of investing in growth stocks

Strategies for investing in growth stocks

Growth stocks versus dividend stocks

Related investing topics

FAQ

Find companies with large addressable markets

Identify trends and the companies driving them

E-commerce

Digital advertising

Digital payments

Cloud computing

Streaming entertainment

Electric and autonomous vehicles

Artificial intelligence

Prioritize companies with competitive advantages