5 Amazing Growth Stocks to Buy Before 2026

We're getting into the last stretch of the year, a time when many investors take stock of their holdings and see if their portfolios need any changes. If your portfolio needs some extra growth, there are many amazing options -- and they're not all artificial intelligence (AI) stocks.

In fact, if most of your growth is coming from AI stocks, you might want to reconsider your positions and make sure your portfolio is well diversified. Although AI may continue to be a major market growth driver, there's risk in having too many eggs in one basket.

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI), Dutch Bros (NYSE: BROS), On Holding (NYSE: ONON), Nu Holdings (NYSE: NU), and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) are five great growth stocks to buy right now.

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1. MercadoLibre: E-commerce plus fintech

MercadoLibre is an online marketplace serving 18 Latin American countries. It has strong long-term tailwinds, as this region continues to adopt e-commerce as a shopping option, especially since these countries are behind the U.S. and China in e-commerce penetration. The company also operates a financial technology platform with an expanding array of financial services.

Although it has been around for a while already, MercadoLibre continues to grow at a fast pace. Revenue increased 49% year over year (currency neutral) in the 2025 third quarter, and gross merchandise volume (GMV) was up 35%. It consistently boasts increases in items sold, new active customers, and average purchase frequency. In the fintech business, it's also gaining new users at a fast rate while adding more assets under management and increasing its credit portfolio.

There's still much growth to expect from this outstanding company, and it could boost your portfolio in 2026.

2. Dutch Bros: Fast and friendly coffee

Dutch Bros operates just north of 1,000 stores in the U.S., but it's expecting to get much bigger. As it opens new stores in new areas, it's gaining fans, and it's been able to replicate its model of success throughout the different regions of the country where it continues to expand.

The company is focused on speed and friendly service, and its fleet of stores is almost entirely drive-thrus. It also recently rolled out mobile ordering, and it's piloting walk-up windows and new menus to offer an assortment that meets demand while remaining stringent about cost efficiency.

Sales increased 25% year over year in the 2025 third quarter, and comparable sales (comps) increased 5.7%, while earnings per share (EPS) were up from $0.11 last year to $0.14 this year. That's a strong showing in a tough climate.

Management thinks it can reach 7,000 stores, or seven times today's count, and it should be able to create lots of shareholder value along the way.

3. On: The new name in premium athletic wear

On has created a premium brand of athletic wear, starting with its Cloudtec footwear, most of which features its signature soles that have holes and are meant to feel like walking on a cloud. It has gained a loyal and growing following of fans who love its products, but it's a fairly small company that's still launching around the world.

Despite the grim landscape for many of its competitors, On has been reporting robust growth. In the 2025 third quarter, revenue increased 35% year over year (currency neutral). It's seeing growth across both direct-to-consumer and wholesale channels, building its brand presence in multiple ways.

It's also highly profitable, with a 60.6% gross margin and a 290% increase in net income year over year in the third quarter.

On is just starting out, and there could be big gains for investors.

4. Nu: Digital banking in Latin America

Nu is an all-digital bank based in Brazil. It already has more than 60% of the adult population in the country as customers, and it's branching out in several ways.

One is expanding its platform. Although it already has a significant presence, there are many new ways to monetize its users as it rolls out new products.

It's also entering new regions, and it already has 14% of the population in Mexico and 10% of the population in Colombia on the platform. It also recently applied for a bank charter in the U.S., and it has grand long-term expansion plans.

The results have been strong. Revenue and net income both increased 39% over last year in the third quarter, while average revenue per active user rose from $11 to $12. Nu has massive opportunities right now as well as a long growth runway.

5. Amazon: The AI pick

Amazon has so many businesses that it's not strictly an AI stock. It's the largest e-commerce company in the U.S. by far, and it's always launching new services and upgrades to grab greater market share. Its lead is so wide, at around 40%, and its business is so big that it has an economic moat, meaning competitors would have a very hard time posing any real threat to its dominance.

Its other massive business is Amazon Web Services (AWS), a cloud computing giant that's the largest in the world. That's where the AI business is happening, and the AI part is helping reaccelerate growth in the overall business as clients want to participate with generative AI.

Management feels that there are explosive growth opportunities in AI, and it's just getting started. Amazon could be a huge winner in the long run.

Jennifer Saibil has positions in Dutch Bros, MercadoLibre, Nu Holdings, and On Holding. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, MercadoLibre, and On Holding. The Motley Fool recommends Dutch Bros and Nu Holdings. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.