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 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 weather the ups and downs of growth stocks for their investment thesis to play out.

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.

Are growth stocks a good investment during economic uncertainty?

Growth stocks can still be a good investment amid economic uncertainty. However, they can see their share prices dip significantly as investors tend to avoid the riskiest investments when they're uncertain about the immediate future. If you buy a growth stock of a company with a solid balance sheet and an excellent long-term outlook in the midst of economic uncertainty, it could pay off handsomely in the long run.

Best Growth Stocks to Buy in 2026

By Adam Levy – Updated May 8, 2026 at 3:08 PM EST | Fact-checked by Frank Bass

Key Points

Growth stocks offer high return potential by leveraging future earnings, but face high volatility.
Opt for growth ETFs like Vanguard Small-Cap for diversified low-cost exposure to multiple companies.
Invest early in companies with strong competitive advantages to maximize long-term gains.

Investing in growth stocks can be a powerful way to build long-term wealth -- but it’s not always a smooth ride. Growth stocks tend to outperform when the market rewards future potential, but they can fall hard when investors grow more cautious.

The upside is real. So is the volatility. The goal is to invest in growth companies that can keep compounding through good markets and bad, and to build a strategy that helps you stick with them.

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Ticker Information Table
Company name	Company ticker	Market cap	Industry
Meta Platforms	NASDAQ:META	$1.5 trillion	Interactive Media and Services
Shopify	NASDAQ:SHOP	$144.0 billion	IT Services
Uber Technologies	NYSE:UBER	$153.7 billion	Road and Rail
Block	NYSE:XYZ	$44.6 billion	Diversified Financial Services
MercadoLibre	NASDAQ:MELI	$82.8 billion	Multiline Retail
Nvidia	NASDAQ:NVDA	$5.2 trillion	Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment
Netflix	NASDAQ:NFLX	$368.4 billion	Entertainment
Amazon	NASDAQ:AMZN	$2.9 trillion	Multiline Retail
Salesforce	NYSE:CRM	$148.7 billion	Software
Alphabet	NASDAQ:GOOG	$4.8 trillion	Interactive Media and Services

Data as of May 9, 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 +0.67%). This fund tracks the CRSP U.S. Small Cap Growth index, providing investors with an easy way to invest in roughly 560 small-cap growth companies 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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Streaming entertainment

Millions are canceling their cable subscriptions and replacing them with cheaper, more convenient streaming options. As the global leader in streaming entertainment, Netflix offers a great way to profit from this trend, but it faces growing competition from other media companies such as Disney (DIS -0.68%)

Electric and autonomous vehicles

The world is shifting from reliance on gasoline to electricity for vehicle power. According to a survey of industry executives, half of all auto sales could be electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030.

Tesla (TSLA +3.93%) has been the leader in the space, with its lineup of vehicles and battery technology. The Chinese company BYD (BYDDY -1.08%) has ascended rapidly to become the world's leading EV maker, thanks to its low-priced vehicles. Both EV makers have also made significant progress in developing self-driving technology for their cars.

However, Alphabet's Waymo has a clear lead in the space, offering a commercial service in several U.S. cities and completing more than 400,000 rides per week. Uber (UBER -1.67%) has emerged as a key partner for autonomous vehicle companies looking to deploy their fleet and maximize their capital utilization. It could be a hidden beneficiary of the growing number of self-driving cars on the road.

Artificial intelligence

Companies have recently poured billions into accelerating their AI development and applying it to their businesses. Nvidia (NVDA +1.73%) has been a major beneficiary, as it designs the chips used to train many large language models, the foundation of generative AI.

Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft (MSFT -1.33%), and Oracle (ORCL +0.70%) also benefit from growth in AI applications since many run on their cloud computing platforms. Salesforce is leveraging its position in enterprise software to help companies use their own data to create AI-powered agents.

The key is to invest in these trends and companies as early as possible. The earlier you get in, the more you stand to profit. However, the most powerful trends can last for many years -- even decades -- giving you plenty of time to claim your share of the profits they create.

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Growth stocks versus dividend stocks.
Growth Stocks	Dividend Stocks
Fast-growing young companies in evolving industries.	Slow-growing mature businesses in stable industries.
Reinvest profits in expanding the business and growing market share.	Pay out a large portion of profits as dividends for shareholders.
May produce little or negative free cash flow as management invests in the business.	Steady and predictable growth in free cash flow over time.
Higher volatility.	Lower volatility.
The biggest risk is management's execution on the long-term outlook.	The biggest risk stems from mismanaging capital allocation, leading to a dividend cut.
Typically trade for high valuations.	Typically trade for low valuations.

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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.

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@admlvy

Adam Levy has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Salesforce, Uber Technologies, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Block, Etsy, MercadoLibre, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Netflix, Nvidia, Oracle, PayPal, Salesforce, Shopify, Tesla, Uber Technologies, Vanguard Index Funds - Vanguard Small-Cap Growth ETF, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends BYD Company and Gartner and recommends the following options: short June 2026 $50 calls on PayPal. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Best Growth Stocks to Buy in 2026