Key Points
What do a medical stock and a coffee stock have in common? Strong revenue and consistent profits.
Intuitive Surgical has a simple but effective model that has seen it through its fair share of market storms.
Dutch Bros is leveraging a tried-and-true approach to implement its next wave of expansion.
Investing in stocks for the long term can help you build a profitable portfolio that enables you to meet your personal financial goals. Not every stock will be a winner, and no investor is perfect. If you're investing in businesses for a long while, and only putting cash into stocks that you intend to hold for a minimum period of several years, this can help you narrow down the list of contenders for your portfolio.
If you're on the hunt for two stocks to buy and have cash to invest right now (money that you don't need for bills or other financial commitments), here are two fantastic stocks to consider putting all or part of that amount toward and holding for five years at least.
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1. Intuitive Surgical
Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ: ISRG) has been a leader in surgical robotics for over two decades, since its first da Vinci system was approved. Today, its systems are approved for minimally invasive surgical procedures across various specialties, including urology, gynecology, general surgery, thoracic surgery, and cardiac surgery. Intuitive Surgical also sells the Ion system for minimally invasive lung biopsies.
The company's business model is somewhat unique in the medical device stock space because it makes money primarily through a "razor-and-blades" approach. It sells its systems, such as the da Vinci surgical system (the "razor") to healthcare providers either outright, through a usage-based system, or sales-type lease. However, Intuitive Surgical generates the majority of its revenue from the ongoing sale of instruments and accessories used with the system (the "blades") and from service contracts for maintenance and support.
This means that most of the company's revenue is from recurring sources, a figure that has risen steadily over the years. Consider Intuitive Surgical's Q2 financial results as an example. In the three-month period, the company reported total revenue of $2.4 billion, a 21% increase from one year ago. Out of that revenue total, $1.47 billion was from instruments and accessories sales, $574.7 million from system sales, and $391.2 million from services related to its surgical systems.
The quarter also marked Intuitive Surgical's 10,488th installment of a da Vinci surgical system, leaving it with an installed base that was up 14% from the year-ago period.
Intuitive Surgical has an impressive track record of being incredibly profitable. Its Q2 net income totaled $664 million, up 25% year over year. However, over the trailing five-year period, Intuitive Surgical has grown its annual earnings by a whopping 119%. Those growth figures have made plenty of investors interested in the stock, and I'm not here to tell you that Intuitive Surgical is trading cheap (its current price-to-earnings ratio is around 70).
That being said, the adoption of surgical robotics is still in its relatively early stages, giving Intuitive Surgical a prolonged runway for growth in both mature and emerging markets. For investors with an investment horizon of five years or more, this monster stock could be a compelling portfolio addition.
2. Dutch Bros
Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS) has managed to make significant headway as a business in a highly competitive industry, all while growing its chain of coffee shops and delivering increasingly impressive financials in the process. The company's business model focuses on no-frills, drive-thru locations, emphasizing speed, customer service, and a limited menu of unique beverages.
This approach has allowed Dutch Bros to cultivate a loyal customer base and expand rapidly with lower overhead costs, a key differentiator from more traditional coffee shop models. Dutch Bros has been around since 1992, when it was founded by two brothers in Oregon who began the venture with a pushcart selling espresso. Today, Dutch Bros has more than 1,000 locations across the U.S., but management wants to have 7,000 locations eventually.
Dutch Bros had a pretty great start to the year in the first quarter of 2025, exceeding both revenue and earnings expectations that analysts had put forward. The company reported revenue of $355.2 million, a 29% increase year over year, and net income of $22.5 million, a whopping 39% jump from one year ago.
The company also opened 30 new shops across 11 U.S. states in Q1. Systemwide same-shop sales grew by 4.7%, while company-operated same-shop sales increased by 6.9%. Dutch Bros is actively opening new locations, particularly in the U.S. Southeast, and this is actively contributing to revenue growth.
The company only fully launched mobile order capabilities for its locations in 2024, but its customers are rapidly joining its platform as these newer endeavors continue to propel meaningful sales growth. For investors who want to gain exposure to the restaurant stock space and buy shares of a profitable company in the early stages of growth, Dutch Bros could be worth a second look.
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Rachel Warren has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Intuitive Surgical. The Motley Fool recommends Dutch Bros. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.