Two Powerhouse Stocks to Hold Long-Term in 2026 - Nvidia and MercadoLibre, Of Course

In the world of investing, truly unstoppable companies are rare. Yet certain stocks distinguish themselves through durable competitive advantages—think powerful brand loyalty, high customer switching costs, and strategic optionality that allows them to pivot into new profitable directions. For long-term investors building a portfolio that can withstand market cycles, Nvidia and MercadoLibre represent exactly this type of opportunity. Both have demonstrated explosive growth momentum, both command substantial room for further expansion, and perhaps most intriguingly for value-conscious investors, both trade at valuations that remain surprisingly reasonable.

Why Nvidia (NVDA) Remains a Compelling Long-Term Pick

Nvidia has transformed itself from a gaming-focused chipmaker into the world’s dominant semiconductor powerhouse, commanding a market capitalization of approximately $4.6 trillion. The company’s evolution into a leader in graphics processing units (GPUs) used across data centers has positioned it at the heart of the artificial intelligence revolution. As AI workloads proliferate globally and enterprises build out massive data center infrastructure, Nvidia’s technological moat only deepens.

The growth trajectory speaks for itself. In its most recent quarter, Nvidia posted revenue increases of 62% year-over-year, with net income climbing 65% over the same period. These aren’t modest gains—they reflect a company firing on all cylinders despite its already enormous scale. What’s equally noteworthy is the valuation picture. Trading at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24, Nvidia sits well below its five-year average of 37, suggesting the market hasn’t fully priced in the company’s long-term potential.

One colleague’s projection of Nvidia reaching a $10 trillion valuation by 2030 may sound audacious, but it rests on a plausible thesis: the company aims to evolve beyond pure chip manufacturing, establishing partnerships that encompass software and networking equipment. This vertical integration strategy in the AI ecosystem could unlock entirely new revenue streams and deepen customer lock-in.

MercadoLibre (MELI): Massive Growth Potential in Emerging Markets

MercadoLibre operates at the intersection of two powerful trends: e-commerce expansion and fintech disruption. With a market value of $116 billion, this Latin American giant functions as a hybrid platform combining the marketplace dominance of Amazon with the financial services reach of PayPal. The company operates across 18 countries, providing a comprehensive ecosystem for buying, selling, obtaining credit and insurance, processing payments, and conducting both online and offline transactions.

The scale of MercadoLibre’s user base underscores its importance to the region. It recently reported 77 million unique active buyers and 72 million monthly active fintech users, with both metrics growing more than 25% year-over-year. The company’s third quarter delivered net revenue growth of 39% and a net profit margin of 5.7%, demonstrating that expansion isn’t sacrificing profitability.

The real growth catalyst lies ahead. E-commerce penetration in Latin America currently stands at roughly 15%—a number that pales in comparison to mature markets. As digital adoption accelerates and consumer confidence grows, MercadoLibre stands positioned to capture enormous share gains. Unlike Nvidia, which operates in a mature sector dominated by a handful of players, MercadoLibre operates in an underpenetrated market with favorable demographic and economic tailwinds.

What Makes These Two Stocks Worth the Wait

Both companies exhibit the hallmarks of generational wealth builders: entrenched competitive advantages, explosive yet profitable growth, and enormous total addressable markets still in early innings. Nvidia’s dominance in AI infrastructure and MercadoLibre’s unassailable position in Latin American digital commerce suggest that patient investors who hold these positions could benefit substantially from decade-long wealth creation. The combination of reasonable valuations today and structural growth tailwinds makes this an opportune moment for long-term portfolio builders to stake their claims.