Daily Scoop : Invest In These Stocks -
Why these alternative stocks ?
Before we get to the stocks, let's acknowledge three caveats:
Choosing the best stocks to buy today depends on your personal financial situation. To get a feel for where you stand, read our guide on how to invest in stocks. It walks you through topics such as establishing an emergency fund, allocating assets, and choosing the right stocks for you.
I like these stocks as long-term investments, even if a market crash or bear market arrives. I have absolutely no idea what they'll do over the next few weeks or months. In fact, if inflation unexpectedly spikes higher, trade tensions escalate, or the U.S. falls into a deep recession, it's entirely possible that most or all of them could soon decline.
Although I ensured some variety, the list below isn't meant to be a fully diversified portfolio. Instead, these are my highest-conviction long-term stocks to invest in now. The most effective way to diversify your holdings is to build the core of your portfolio around a fund like the Vanguard Total World Stock Index Fund ETF (VT -0.73%) or the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO -0.56%).
Now, let's get to my list of stocks to buy and hold for the long term, followed by the summarized investment thesis for each.
One of my favorite long-term stock investments in the market, MercadoLibre (MELI -1.24%), 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, Mercado Pago, a logistics service, Mercado Envios, a business lending platform, and more.
The marketplace saw $19.9 billion in merchandise volume in the fourth quarter of 2025, up 37% from the same quarter in 2024. Mercado Pago processes over $300 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 $12.5 billion in outstanding loan balances.
MercadoLibre isn't just the Amazon of Latin America -- it's the Amazon, PayPal, Block (XYZ -0.18%) (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.
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.
