2 Unstoppable Growth Stocks to Buy and Hold Through 2035

Group 1: Market Outlook - Long-term prospects for companies remain attractive despite current rough patches [1] - The formula for exceptional long-term returns involves investing in companies with strong business models, competitive advantages, and growth potential [2] Group 2: MercadoLibre - MercadoLibre started 2025 strong but saw a decline in shares over the last six months; it remains a strong buy-and-hold option due to its position in Latin America's e-commerce market [4] - The company faces competition from Shopee, which offers lower prices in key markets like Brazil [5] - MercadoLibre is adapting by lowering minimum transaction amounts for free shipping, making more orders eligible [6] - The Latin American market presents significant long-term opportunities, with e-commerce growth rates among the fastest globally [9] - Advertising is a high-margin growth avenue for MercadoLibre, which can enhance margins and earnings over time [10] Group 3: Microsoft - Microsoft experienced a strong first half of 2025 but a weaker second half; however, its financial results remain robust due to cloud computing and AI [11] - Azure, Microsoft's cloud service, saw a 40% year-over-year revenue increase, growing twice as fast as AWS [12] - Microsoft has a cloud contracted backlog of $392 billion, up 51% year-over-year [12] - The partnership with OpenAI provides Microsoft with a competitive edge in the cloud and AI markets [14] - Microsoft has a strong competitive advantage due to switching costs and is recognized as a top dividend payer, having increased payouts by nearly 153% over the past decade [15]