How do I know if a top stock is overvalued?

There's no perfect formula to determine if a top stock is overvalued, and even a seemingly "expensive" stock can be cheap relative to its future growth potential. The best way to determine if any stock is cheap or expensive is to familiarize yourself with some of the principles of value investing and apply them to your investment research.

What's one of the best stocks to invest in right now?

Some of the top stocks to invest in right now are Amazon, Alphabet (the parent company of Google), Disney, and Berkshire Hathaway. However, the best stocks for you depend on your personal investment objectives.

Which stock will boom in ##year##?

Unfortunately, nobody has a crystal ball that can predict the best-performing stock, and we're no exception. But if you buy strong businesses with durable competitive advantages, you'll set yourself up for long-term success.

What kind of stocks go up the most?

The best-performing stocks tend to be those whose management teams consistently innovate and execute on their growth strategies, handily outperforming expectations in the process.

Do top stocks guarantee high returns?

No, investing in top stocks doesn't guarantee high returns. However, these companies have a higher probability of delivering strong returns compared to other stocks due to their strong financial profiles and robust growth potential.

How do I pick a winning stock?

Some keys to picking winning stocks are to look for:The leading companies that are capitalizing on long-term growth trends such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy, e-commerce, financial technology, cybersecurity, and cloud computing.Financially strong companies that are producing enough cash to fund their growth.Companies with additional expansion potential beyond their current market focus.Founder-led companies or those with strong management teams well aligned with shareholders.

Are top stocks better for growth or income investing?

Top stocks tend to be better for growth investing. Investors typically look for companies that are growing their revenue and earnings at above-average rates, as this generally drives top returns.

Best Stocks to Buy Now: Our Buy-and-Hold Picks for February 2026

By Matthew Frankel, CFP – Updated Feb 11, 2026 at 9:54 AM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Invest in stocks like Airbnb or MercadoLibre, which show strong long-term potential.
Consider funds like Vanguard Total World Stock Index for diversified core holdings.
Research the financial stability and growth trends of companies before investing.

There are thousands of publicly traded companies you can invest in, not to mention the many exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and mutual funds you can buy. So it's not surprising that many investors don't know where to start. Even with a market near an all-time high in early 2026, many stocks remain extremely attractive for long-term investors to consider buying.

But what are the best stocks to buy in February 2026? Although I can't consult a crystal ball to tell me which stocks will deliver the best returns, I've tried to do the next best thing. In this article, I'll discuss 10 stocks that I think could be great buys for long-term investors looking to put their money to work.

Loading paragraph...

A stock chart showing upward price movement. — Image source: Getty Images.

Loading paragraph...

Ticker Information Table
Name and ticker	Current price	Market cap	Industry
Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB)	$135.11	$82.1 billion	Hotels, Restaurants and Leisure
CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD)	$372.12	$96.1 billion	Software
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)	$263.68	$4.0 trillion	Technology Hardware, Storage and Peripherals
MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI)	$1,758.49	$88.3 billion	Multiline Retail
Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG)	$503.36	$180.0 billion	Healthcare Equipment and Supplies
Shopify (NASDAQ:SHOP)	$120.75	$164.2 billion	IT Services
Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS)	$106.04	$187.0 billion	Entertainment
Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKB)	$504.95	$1.1 trillion	Diversified Financial Services
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN)	$210.00	$2.2 trillion	Multiline Retail
Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL)	$312.00	$3.7 trillion	Interactive Media and Services

Data as of Feb 27, 2026. Showing 10 of 10 tickers.

Loading ticker_table...

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: ABNB

Airbnb

Today's Change

(-1.36%) $-1.86

Current Price

$135.11

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$82B

Day's Range

$133.59 - $136.97

52wk Range

$99.88 - $144.75

Volume

6.5M

Avg Vol

4.8M

Gross Margin

72.27%

Loading company_card...

Loading paragraph...

2. MercadoLibre

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: MELI

MercadoLibre

Today's Change

(1.01%) $17.61

Current Price

$1758.49

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$88B

Day's Range

$1721.76 - $1775.00

52wk Range

$1654.24 - $2645.22

Volume

33K

Avg Vol

563K

Gross Margin

44.50%

Loading company_card...

One of my favorite long-term stock investments in the market, MercadoLibre (MELI +1.01%), is often referred to as the Amazon of Latin America, and for good reason. The company operates an e-commerce marketplace with a dominant presence in some of the region's most populous nations, including Brazil and Argentina.

However, there's a lot more to MercadoLibre. It operates a fast-growing payments platform called Mercado Pago, a logistics service known as Mercado Envios, a business lending platform, and more.

The marketplace saw $16.5 billion in merchandise volume in the third quarter of 2025, up 28% from the same quarter in 2024. Mercado Pago processes almost $285 billion in annualized payment volume, with three-quarters of that volume coming from outside its e-commerce platform.

Both main parts of the business are experiencing rapid growth. And don't overlook Mercado Crédito, the company's young but fast-growing (and highly profitable) lending business. Mercado Crédito has $11 billion in outstanding loan balances.

MercadoLibre isn't just the Amazon of Latin America -- it's the Amazon, PayPal, Block (XYZ +16.96%) (owner of Square and Cash App), Shopify, and more, all rolled into one. And it's in a much earlier stage of growth. As the e-commerce and fintech landscapes in Latin America evolve over the coming years, MercadoLibre could be a major long-term beneficiary.

3. Apple

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: AAPL

Apple

Today's Change

(-3.40%) $-9.27

Current Price

$263.68

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$4.0T

Day's Range

$262.89 - $272.83

52wk Range

$169.21 - $288.62

Volume

2.4M

Avg Vol

48M

Gross Margin

47.33%

Dividend Yield

0.38%

Loading company_card...

Apple (AAPL -3.40%) is a company that needs little introduction to most people. It is the largest consumer electronics company in the world, and with products including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, the Mac line of PCs and laptops, and more, it has built an ecosystem of products used by a highly loyal customer base.

Recent results show no reason to believe demand is cooling off. In the 2025 holiday quarter, Apple generated more than $85 billion in iPhone sales alone, a figure management described as "staggering" demand.

Another interesting part of Apple's business is its Services unit, which has been the fastest-growing part of the company (and also is a high-margin revenue stream). Just to name a few examples, this includes sales on the App Store and products like Apple Music.

Loading paragraph...

E-commerce

E-commerce is the buying and selling of goods online and the related businesses that facilitate it

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: CRWD

CrowdStrike

Today's Change

(-2.36%) $-8.98

Current Price

$372.12

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$96B

Day's Range

$359.52 - $373.49

52wk Range

$298.00 - $566.90

Volume

210K

Avg Vol

3.2M

Gross Margin

74.10%

Loading company_card...

It seems like every week, there's another high-profile security breach. The need for cybersecurity solutions certainly isn't getting any smaller. And that's especially true when it comes to cloud-based security. CrowdStrike (CRWD -2.36%) is leading the charge to keep data secure in the cloud. This is a best-in-breed cybersecurity company with a highly effective platform.

CrowdStrike collects security data from its numerous users, analyzes it, and utilizes it to automate security across its entire network. This makes the platform highly effective at detecting the newest threats.

And the more users adopt CrowdStrike's solutions (known as its Falcon platform), the more effective it becomes. The use of crowdsourced threat data, combined with its leading market share, gives it a competitive advantage over peers.

With almost $5 billion in annual recurring revenue and an 80% subscription gross margin, CrowdStrike's growth has been impressive, but this could be just the beginning. The company sees its current addressable market at $116 billion in potential revenue and expects that the opportunity could more than double to $250 billion by 2029.

5. Intuitive Surgical

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: ISRG

Intuitive Surgical

Today's Change

(-0.69%) $-3.52

Current Price

$503.36

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$180B

Day's Range

$499.23 - $504.62

52wk Range

$425.00 - $603.88

Volume

57K

Avg Vol

1.9M

Gross Margin

65.98%

Loading company_card...

Robot-assisted surgery generally beats shaky human hands. That general thesis hasn't changed significantly since I first noticed Intuitive Surgical (ISRG -0.69%) stock in 2005. The da Vinci Surgical System is the clear market leader, and its "razor and blades" model helps Intuitive generate a recurring stream of revenue.

In the fourth quarter of 2025, Intuitive Surgical reported year-over-year revenue growth of 19%, fueled by 18% growth in performed da Vinci procedures. Intuitive Surgical is a dominant player in its space, with approximately 80% global market share.

It has lots of room to grow as the adoption of its surgical systems and the number of supported procedures increase over time. This is particularly true in many international markets, where the implementation of robot-assisted surgery could be a long-tailed growth catalyst for this excellent business for decades to come.

6. Shopify

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: SHOP

Shopify

Today's Change

(-4.13%) $-5.20

Current Price

$120.75

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$164B

Day's Range

$118.56 - $123.86

52wk Range

$69.84 - $182.19

Volume

434K

Avg Vol

11M

Gross Margin

47.88%

Loading company_card...

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: DIS

Walt Disney

Today's Change

(0.46%) $0.49

Current Price

$106.04

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$187B

Day's Range

$103.93 - $106.34

52wk Range

$80.10 - $124.69

Volume

14M

Avg Vol

11M

Gross Margin

31.61%

Dividend Yield

1.18%

Loading company_card...

The House of Mouse is like the all-weather tires of a portfolio. The pandemic hurt its theme park and movie businesses but helped the Disney+ streaming service, which has grown into a powerhouse for Disney (DIS +0.52%).

In fact, six years after launching, Disney+ Core now has more than 130 million paid subscribers, while Hulu adds tens of millions more. Additionally, the market is absorbing price increases with minimal impact on subscriber counts, and Disney's streaming business is now profitable.

While consumers are clearly feeling the pressure of inflation, demand for Disney's theme parks, movies, and cruise line has been strong. In fact, per-guest revenue in Disney's parks is far greater than in comparable pre-COVID-19 pandemic times, even accounting for inflation, thanks to initiatives that have driven higher in-park spending. Additionally, the company is investing $60 billion over the next decade in its theme parks and cruise line to ensure they remain full for the foreseeable future.

With Disney also laser-focused on the profitability of Disney+ and its other streaming platforms, Hulu, and ESPN+, this could be a powerful combination of profitable, all-weather revenue streams. In a nutshell, Disney might be the ultimate combination of an in-person experiential stock and a tech-focused growth business.

Disney's amazing stable of intellectual properties (the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, ESPN, Pixar, etc.) and its cash-machine theme park business give it a margin of safety that makes it perhaps the safest stock on this list. And it still has tremendous profit-growth potential as newer areas of its business evolve.

Loading paragraph...

8. Berkshire Hathaway

Loading paragraph...

NYSE: BRKA

Berkshire Hathaway

Today's Change

(0.50%) $3750.00

Current Price

$757000.00

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1.1T

Day's Range

$752760.00 - $759500.00

52wk Range

$685150.00 - $812855.00

Volume

232

Avg Vol

744

Gross Margin

24.85%

Loading company_card...

NYSE: BRKB

Berkshire Hathaway

Today's Change

(0.45%) $2.28

Current Price

$504.95

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$1.1T

Day's Range

$501.29 - $506.48

52wk Range

$455.19 - $542.07

Volume

258K

Avg Vol

4.6M

Gross Margin

24.85%

Loading company_card...

Although most of this list is made up of growth stocks, or at least stocks that have some exciting growth drivers, this is the relatively boring value pick of the bunch (but in the best possible way). Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A +0.50%) (BRK.B +0.45%) owns a collection of about 60 subsidiaries, including household names such as GEICO, Duracell, and Dairy Queen, among others.

Berkshire also owns a portfolio of common stocks -- worth about $315 billion as of December 2025 -- that includes massive stakes in Apple (AAPL -3.40%), Bank of America (BAC -4.72%), Chevron (CVX +1.30%), American Express (AXP -7.88%), and Coca-Cola (KO +1.32%), as well as positions in dozens of other companies.

Many were particularly savvy investments, such as the Bank of America stake, which resulted from a preferred stock deal made in the wake of the financial crisis. In addition to its businesses and stock portfolio, Berkshire also had approximately $380 billion in cash and short-term investments as of Sept. 30, 2025, providing it with considerable financial flexibility to capitalize on opportunities as they arise.

Berkshire is putting some of that cash to work, agreeing to buy Occidental Petroleum's (OXY +3.14%) petrochemical unit, OxyChem, in October 2025 for $9.7 billion. That's its biggest deal since 2022, when Warren Buffett's company bought insurance company Alleghany for $11.6 billion.

Berkshire continues to produce market-beating returns in most years despite its massive size. And while Berkshire certainly won't produce the roughly 20% annualized return it has produced from the time Buffett took the helm in 1964 through the end of 2025, there's no reason to believe it won't continue to outpace the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.43%) index for the foreseeable future.

In fact, the company recently reached an impressive milestone by becoming the first non-technology company to reach a trillion-dollar market cap. Buffett recently stepped down as CEO, but the company is in good hands. Berkshire's winning culture is likely to live on for decades, even in its post-Buffett era.

9. Amazon

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: AMZN

Amazon

Today's Change

(1.00%) $2.08

Current Price

$210.00

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$2.2T

Day's Range

$205.20 - $210.33

52wk Range

$161.38 - $258.60

Volume

57M

Avg Vol

47M

Gross Margin

50.29%

Loading company_card...

Amazon (AMZN +1.00%) doesn't really need much of an elevator pitch for most people. The company maintains a dominant market share in the U.S. e-commerce market. And its Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud platform is also a market leader, with a significant lead over the other two large players in the space, Microsoft (MSFT -2.23%) and Alphabet (GOOG +1.39%) (GOOGL +1.50%).

However, more growth potential exists than you might think. We're still a long way from maximizing e-commerce adoption, as it accounts for only a little more than 16% of all U.S. retail sales.

The cloud industry is relatively young and expected to roughly quadruple in size to a $2.3 trillion market by 2032. Amazon also has a ton of potential in other areas, including healthcare, grocery stores, neighborhood markets, and more.

10. Alphabet

Loading paragraph...

NASDAQ: GOOGL

Alphabet

Today's Change

(1.50%) $4.62

Current Price

$312.00

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$3.7T

Day's Range

$303.80 - $312.33

52wk Range

$140.53 - $349.00

Volume

1.6M

Avg Vol

34M

Gross Margin

59.68%

Dividend Yield

0.27%

Loading company_card...

NASDAQ: GOOG

Alphabet

Today's Change

(1.39%) $4.28

Current Price

$311.43

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$3.7T

Day's Range

$303.59 - $312.08

52wk Range

$142.66 - $350.15

Volume

33M

Avg Vol

22M

Gross Margin

59.68%

Dividend Yield

0.27%

Loading company_card...

Alphabet isn't exactly a household name, but its main subsidiary, Google, certainly is. And there's a lot more to the business and its potential than the massive internet search operation that has a dominant market share.

Google is divided into two main segments: Google Services and Google Cloud. Google services include YouTube, Google Play, Gmail, Android, Chrome, and Nest smart home products. This part of the business generates most of its revenue from advertising, but it also earns significant revenue from hardware (Nest) and in-app purchases (Google Play).

Google Cloud is the company's cloud services division, holding the No. 3 market share behind AWS and Microsoft Azure. It has been growing its market share in recent years, and the cloud infrastructure market itself is forecast to quadruple by 2030. So, while this accounts for approximately 10% of the company's revenue today, it could be the biggest growth driver for years to come.

Additionally, Alphabet has a segment called "Other Bets," which owns several promising early-stage businesses. The self-driving vehicle technology company Waymo is perhaps the most notable and has a clear market lead in the young robotaxi industry. While none of the "other bets" companies produce any significant revenue yet, there's a lot of long-term potential.

Not only is there tons of growth potential, but Alphabet is also extremely profitable and has substantial cash. In fact, this has recently prompted Alphabet to initiate its first-ever dividend payment.

Loading paragraph...

7 Best ETFs to Buy in February 2026

ETFs can help eliminate risk because they tend to be less volatile than individual stocks and give exposure to a range of assets.

Top 8 Bonds to Invest in for the Long Term

Find out why bonds are getting a lot of attention from investors these days.

8 Best Index Funds to Buy in February 2026

Looking to the long term? Get in on these index funds.

When to Sell Stocks -- for Profit or Loss

When is it time to exit your position in a stock? Consider these factors.

Loading paragraph...

Top stocks to buy and hold: FAQ

Loading faq...

About the Author

Matt Frankel, CFP, is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst and personal finance expert covering financial stocks, REITs, SPACs, and personal finance. Prior to The Motley Fool, Matt taught high school and college mathematics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of South Carolina, a master’s degree in mathematics from Nova Southeastern University, and a graduate certificate in financial planning from Florida State University. He won a SABEW award for coverage of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He is also regularly interviewed by Cheddar, The National Desk, and other TV networks and publications for his financial, stock market, and investing expertise.

TMFMattFrankel

@MattFrankelCFP

Bank of America is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. American Express is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Matt Frankel, CFP has positions in Amazon, American Express, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway, Block, MercadoLibre, PayPal, Realty Income, Shopify, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, and Walt Disney and has the following options: long January 2027 $75 calls on PayPal, long January 2027 $95 calls on PayPal, short January 2027 $135 calls on PayPal, short January 2027 $170 calls on Shopify, and short January 2027 $85 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Airbnb, Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, Block, Chevron, Costco Wholesale, CrowdStrike, Intuitive Surgical, MercadoLibre, Microsoft, NextEra Energy, PayPal, Realty Income, Shopify, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Eagle Materials, Occidental Petroleum, and WM and recommends the following options: long January 2027 $42.50 calls on PayPal, long January 2028 $520 calls on Intuitive Surgical, short January 2028 $530 calls on Intuitive Surgical, and short March 2026 $65 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Our Guides

How to Invest Money: A Step-by-Step Guide

What Is the Stock Market & How Does It Work?

Essential Financial Formulas You Should Know

Guide to Selling Privately Held Stocks

Wake Up With Breakfast News!

Top stocks by sector

In addition to my overall top 10, here's a brief list of my current favorite stocks to buy for the long term from each of the 11 S&P sectors. Some appear on the list above, but some sectors weren't represented, so I'll offer a top pick in each sector. Also, I've included links to The Motley Fool's top stocks pages for each individual sector, if you're trying to focus on specific industries in your portfolio.

Factors influencing top stocks

There isn't just one factor -- or even a defined set of factors -- that make a stock a "top stock" to buy. But there are a few common things to look for:

A leader in its industry (or close to it)

A large opportunity for future growth

A reasonable valuation

An identifiable competitive advantage

Stable (and preferably growing) profitability

How to use this stock list

If you're just starting out on your investing journey (or want a sanity check), please read through our guide on how to invest in stocks (mentioned at the top of this article). It covers the basics, from getting started to determining your personal investing strategy and how much of your money to invest in stocks.

Although I'm bullish on each of these stocks and think they are good investments to buy right now, they might not all be the best choices for investors without established and diversified portfolios. Even the most stable companies on this list aren't immune to stock price volatility, especially over short periods.

For this reason, if you're just getting started, you'll also want to see our list of the five top tips for investing in stocks for beginners. To be sure, I think the 10 stocks discussed here are some of the best long-term stock investments you can buy now. But it's wise to start with the stocks that speak to you and feel free to ignore the ones that don't.

Benefits and risks of investing in top stocks

Investing in these top stocks has its share of pros and cons. Some of the benefits include:

High growth potential: These companies all have the potential to grow their revenue and earnings at well above average rates in the coming years.

Strong return potential: Strong growth rates position these companies to deliver robust stock price gains.

Capitalizing on key growth megatrends: Many of the companies on this list are leaders in capitalizing on growth megatrends such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), e-commerce, financial technology, and cloud computing.

On the other hand, some potential risks to consider include:

Elevated valuations: Many of these companies trade at valuations above the market average. That could limit their upside potential if these companies don't grow as fast as investors anticipate.

Volatility: Many of these companies will be more volatile than the broader market.

Best Stocks to Buy Now: Our Buy-and-Hold Picks for February 2026

Key Points

Key Data Points

2. MercadoLibre

Key Data Points

3. Apple

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

5. Intuitive Surgical

Key Data Points

6. Shopify

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

8. Berkshire Hathaway

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

9. Amazon

Key Data Points

10. Alphabet

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

7 Best ETFs to Buy in February 2026

Top 8 Bonds to Invest in for the Long Term

8 Best Index Funds to Buy in February 2026

When to Sell Stocks -- for Profit or Loss

Top stocks to buy and hold: FAQ

About the Author

Stocks Mentioned

Our Guides

Premium Investing Services

Top stocks to buy and hold: FAQ

Pitches for each stock

1. Airbnb

2. MercadoLibre

4. CrowdStrike

8. Berkshire Hathaway

How to buy best-performing stocks

What to look for when choosing the best-performing stocks

FAQ

How do I know if a top stock is overvalued?

What's one of the best stocks to invest in right now?

What kind of stocks go up the most?

Do top stocks guarantee high returns?

How do I pick a winning stock?

Are top stocks better for growth or income investing?

Which stock will boom in 2026?

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Key Data Points

Why these 10?

Top 10 stocks to buy and hold

3. Apple

5. Intuitive Surgical

6. Shopify

7. Walt Disney

9. Amazon

10. Alphabet

Top stocks by sector

Factors influencing top stocks

How to use this stock list

Benefits and risks of investing in top stocks

Related investing topics

Key Data Points